FA 


VMD 
LAC 

Y 
K 


•*««t 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

Henry  Gutterson  1884-1954 


r 


EDMUND    DULAC'S 

FAIRY  BOOK 


SNEGOROTCHKA 
The  daintiest,  prettiest  little  maiden  they  had  ever  seen. 


[See  page  2 


EDMVND  DVLAC'3 

FAIRY-BOOK 


FAIRY  TALES 

OF  THE 
ALLI  ED 
NATIONS 


<NEW  YORK- 
GEORGE  H.DORAN  COMPANY 


EDMUND  DULAC'S  FAIRY  BOOK 

—  BC  — 

PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


SNEGOROTCHKA: 

A  RUSSIAN  FAIRY  TALE  •  • 

THE  BURIED  MOON: 

••V 

AN  ENGLISH  FAIRY  TALE  7 

WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE: 

A  FLEMISH  FAIRY  TALE     .  .  •  •  •          J5 

THE  SEVEN  CONQUERORS  OF  THE  QUEEN  OF  THE 
MISSISSIPPI: 

A  BELGIAN  FAIRY  TALE  23 

THE  SERPENT  PRINCE: 

AN  ITALIAN  FAIRY  TALE    .  .  .  .  •          31 


CONTENTS 

PACE 

THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD: 

A  FRENCH  FAIRY  TALE      .  .  »  .  ,          45 

IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE: 

A  RUSSIAN  FAIRY  TALE     .  .  ...          63 


THE   QUEEN  OF  THE   MANY-COLOURED  BED 
CHAMBER: 

AN  IRISH  FAIRY  TALE       .  ...»          73 


THE  BLUE  BIRD: 

A  FRENCH  FAIRY  TALE     .  .  .81 


BASHTCHELIK  (OR,  REAL  STEEL): 

A  SERBIAN  FAIRY  TALE     ...  •          95 

THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY: 

AN  ENGLISH  FAIRY  TALE  .  .  .  .119 


/ 
I 


CONTENTS 

MOB 

THE  GREEN  SERPENT: 

A  FRENCH  FAIRY  TALE     .  .  .  .  .129 


URASHIMA  TARO: 

A  JAPANESE  FAIRY  TALE   .....         145 

THE  FIRE  BIRD: 

A  RUSSIAN  FAIRY  TALE    .  .  .  .  .159 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRD  FENG: 

A  CHINESE  FAIRY  TALE     .  .  .  .  .171 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

SNEGOROTCHKA 

A  RUSSIAN   FAIRY   TALE 

The  daintiest,  prettiest  little  maiden  they  had  ever  seen  .       Frontispiece 

THE  BURIED  MOON 

AN   ENGLISH   FAIRY   TALE 

PAGE 

In  her  frantic  struggles  the  hood  of  her  cloak  fell  back  from  her 
dazzling  golden  hair,  and  immediately  the  whole  place  was 
flooded  with  light  .......  8 

WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE 

A  FLEMISH   FAIRY   TALE 

And,  when  he  saw  White  Caroline,  he  started  to  play  on  his  organ  the 
most  beautiful  airs  that  it  was  possible  to  hear,  and  the  three 
little  dogs  commenced  to  dance  together  .  .  .  .  16 

THE  SEVEN  CONQUERORS  OF  THE  QUEEN 
OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

A  BELGIAN   FAIRY   TALE 

'Hi!  friend!     Take   the  whole  castle,  with  the  Queen  and  all  that  it 

contains,  on  your  shoulders ! '  .  .  .  .  .24 


ILLUSTRATIONS 
THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

AN    ITALIAN    FAIRY   TALE 

PAGF. 

When  Grannmia  saw  her  strange  lover,  she  alone  remained  calm  and 

courageous  ........  32 

THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

A   FRENCH   FAIRY   TALE 

Giroflee  thanked  the  fairy  and  went  ...  far  into  the  wood ;  and  there, 

sure  enough,  she  saw  a  hut  and  an  old  woman  sitting  outside        .  56 

IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

A   RUSSIAN   FAIRY  TALE 

The  chestnut  horse  seemed  to  linger  in  the  air  at  the  top  of  its  leap 

while  that  kiss  endured       ......  64 

THE  BLUE  BIRD 

A  FRENCH   FAIRY  TALE 

The  Prince  took  a  carriage  drawn  by  three  great  frogs  with  great  big 

wings.  .  .  .  Truitonne  came  out  mysteriously  by  a  little  door       .  88 

BASHTCHELIK  (OR,  REAL  STEEL) 

A  SERBIAN   FAIRY  TALE 

The  Prince,  looking  out,  saw  him   snatch   up  the  Princess  .  .  .  and 

soar  rapidly  away    .  .  .  .  .  .  .104 

The  Palace  of  the  Dragon  King  .  .  .  .  .112 


ILLUSTRATIONS 
THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

AN   ENGLISH   FAIRY   TALE 

PACK 

The  Friar,  bound  fast  to  the  post,  squirmed  and  wriggled,  showing 

plainly  that  he  would  foot  it  if  he  could      .  .  .  .128 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

A   FRENCH   FAIRY   TALE 

Laideronnette  kissed  and  embraced  the  good  Fairy  Protectress  .         144 

URASHIMA  TARO 

A  JAPANESE   FAIRY  TALE 

Urashima  was  so  enchanted  that  he  could  not  speak  a  word     .  .         152 

THE  FIRE  BIRD 

A   RUSSIAN   FAIRY  TALE 

There  he  found  the  Princess  asleep,  and  saw  that  her  face  was  the  face 

he  had  seen  in  the  portrait  .  .  .  .  .160 

With  a  scream  the  Princess  rushed  forward,  and,  before  her  wicked 

sister  could  prevent  her,  she  had  upset  the  cauldron  with  a  crash  .          168 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRD  FENG 

A    CHINESE   FAIRY    TALE 

The  wonderful  bird,  like  a  fire  of  many  colours  come  down  from  heaven, 

alighted  before  the  Princess,  dropping  at  her  feet  the  portrait        .          172 


SNEGOROTCHKA 


SNEGOROTCHKA 

A   RUSSIAN    FAIRY   TALE 

THE  old  wife  sang  merrily  as  she  sat  in  the  inglenook  stirring  the 
soup,  for  she  had  never  felt  so  sad.  Many,  many  years  had  come 
and  gone,  leaving  the  weight  of  their  winters  on  her  shoulders  and 
the  touch  of  snow  on  her  hair  without  ever  bringing  her  a  little 
child.  This  made  her  and  her  dear  old  husband  very  sad,  for  there 
were  many  children  outside,  playing  in  the  snow.  It  seemed  hard 
that  not  even  one  among  them  was  their  very  own.  But  alas ! 
there  was  no  hope  for  such  a  blessing  now.  Never  would  they 
see  a  little  fur  cap  hanging  on  the  corner  of  the  mantelpiece,  nor 
two  little  shoes  drying  by  the  fire. 

The  old  husband  brought  in  a  bundle  of  wood  and  set  it  down. 
Then,  as  he  heard  the  children  laughing  and  clapping  their  hands 
outside,  he  looked  out  at  the  window.  There  they  were,  dancing 
with  glee  round  a  snow  man  they  had  made.  He  smiled  as  he  saw 
that  it  was  evidently  meant  to  look  like  the  Mayor  of  the  village, 
it  was  so  fat  and  pompous. 

'Look,  Marushal'  he  cried  to  the  old  wile.  'Come  and  see 
the  snow  man  they've  made.' 

As  they  stood  together  at  the  window,  they  laughed  to  see  what 
fun  the  children  got  out  of  it.  Suddenly  the  old  man  turned  to  her 
with  a  bright  idea. 

'  Let  *s  go  out  and  see  if  we  can't  make  a  little  snow  man.' 

But  Marusha  laughed  at  him.  'What  would  the  neighbours 
say?  They  would  poke  fun  at  us;  it'd  be  the  joke  of  the  village. 
Besides,  we're  too  old  to  play  like  children.' 

'  But  only  a  little  one,  Marusha  ;  only  a  teeny-weeny  little  snow 
man, — and  I  '11  manage  it  that  nobody  sees  us." 

A  I 


SNEGOROTCHKA 

'Well,  well,'  she  said,  laughing;  'have  your  own  way,  as  you 
always  did,  Youshko.' 

With  this  she  took  the  pot  from  the  fire,  put  on  her  bonnet,  and 
they  went  out  together.  As  they  passed  the  children,  they  stopped 
to  play  with  them  a  while,  for  they  now  felt  almost  like  children 
themselves.  Then  they  trudged  on  through  the  snow  till  they  came 
to  a  clump  of  trees,  and,  behind  this,  where  the  snow  was  nice  and 
white,  and  nobody  could  see  them,  they  set  to  work  to  make  their 
little  man. 

The  old  husband  insisted  that  it  must  be  very  small,  and  the 
old  wife  agreed  that  it  should  be  almost  as  small  as  a  new-born 
babe.  Kneeling  down  in  the  snow,  they  fashioned  the  little  body  in 
next  to  no  time.  Now  there  remained  only  the  head  to  finish. 
Two  fat  handfuls  of  snow  for  the  cheeks  and  face,  and  a  big  one 
on  top  for  the  head.  Then  they  put  on  a  wee  dab  for  the  nose  and 
poked  two  holes,  one  on  each  side,  for  the  eyes. 

It  was  soon  done,  and  they  were  already  standing  back  looking 
at  it,  and  laughing  and  clapping  their  hands  like  children.  Then 
suddenly  they  stopped.  What  had  happened  ?  A  very  strange 
thing  indeed  I  Out  of  the  two  holes  they  saw  looking  at  them  two 
wistful  blue  eyes.  Then  the  face  of  the  little  snow  man  was  no 
longer  white.  The  cheeks  became  rounded  and  smooth  and  radiant, 
and  two  rosy  lips  began  to  smile  up  at  them.  A  breath  of  wind 
brushed  the  snow  from  the  head,  and  it  all  fell  down  round  the 
shoulders  in  flaxen  ringlets  escaping  from  a  white  fur  cap.  At  the 
same  time  some  snow,  loosened  from  the  little  body,  fell  down  and 
took  the  shape  of  a  pretty  white  garment.  Then,  suddenly,  before 
they  could  open  and  shut  their  mouths,  their  snow  mannikin  was 
gone,  and  in  his  place  stood  the  daintiest,  prettiest  little  maiden 
they  had  ever  seen. 

They  gave  each  other  a  look  out  of  the  corners  of  their  eyes,  and 
scratched  their  heads  in  wonderment.  But  it  was  as  true  as  true. 
There  stood  the  little  girl,  all  pink  and  white  before  them.  She 
was  really  alive,  for  she  ran  to  them ;  and,  when  they  stooped  down 


SNEGOROTCHKA 

to  lift  her  up,  she  put  one  arm  round  the  old  wife's  neck  and  the 
other  round  the  old  man's,  and  gave  them  each  a  hug  and  a 
kiss. 

They  laughed  and  cried  for  joy ;  then,  suddenly  remembering 
how  real  some  dreams  can  seem,  they  pinched  each  other  in  turn. 
Still  they  were  not  sure,  for  the  pinches  might  have  been  a  part  of 
the  dream.  So,  in  fear  lest  they  might  wake  and  spoil  the  whole 
thing,  they  wrapped  the  little  girl  up  quickly  and  hastened  back 
home. 

On  the  way  they  met  the  children,  still  playing  round  their 
snow  man ;  and  the  snowballs  with  which  they  pelted  them  in  the 
back  were  very  real ;  but  there  again,  the  snowballs  might  have 
belonged  to  the  dream.  But  when  they  were  inside  the  house,  and 
saw  the  inglenook,  with  the  soup  in  the  pot  by  the  fire  and  the 
bundk  of  wood  near  by,  and  everything  just  as  they  had  left  it,  they 
looked  at  each  other  with  tears  in  their  eyes  and  no  longer  feared 
that  it  was  all  a.  dream.  In  another  minute  there  was  a  little  white 
fur  cap  hanging  on  the  corner  of  the  mantelpiece  and  two  little  shoes 
drying  by  the  fire,  while  the  old  wife  took  the  little  girl  on  her  lap 
and  crooned  a  lullaby  over  her. 

The  old  man  put  his  hand  on  his  wife's  shoulder  and  she 
looked  up. 

'  Marusha  1 ' 

1  Youshko  I ' 

'  At  last  we  have  a  little  girl !  We  made  her  out  of  the  snow, 
so  we  will  call  her  Snegorotchka.' 

The  old  wife  nodded  her  head,  and  then  they  kissed  each  other. 
When  they  had  all  had  supper,  they  went  to  bed,  the  old  husband 
and  wife  feeling  sure  that  they  would  wake  early  in  the  morning  to 
find  the  child  still  with  them.  And  they  were  not  disappointed. 
There  she  was,  sitting  up  between  them,  prattling  and  laughing. 
But  she  had  grown  bigger,  and  her  hair  was  now  twice  as  long  as  at 
first.  When  she  called  them  'Little  Father'  and  'Little  Mother' 
they  were  so  delighted  that  they  felt  like  dancing  as  nimbly  as  they 

3 


SNEGOROTCHKA 

had  in  their  young  days.  But,  instead  of  dancing,  they  just  kissed 
each  other,  and  wept  for  joy. 

That  day  they  held  a  big  feast.  The  old  wife  was  busy  all 
the  morning  cooking  all  kinds  of  dainties,  while  the  old  man  went 
round  the  village  and  collected  the  fiddlers.  All  the  boys  and  girls 
of  the  village  were  invited,  and  they  ate  and  sang  and  danced  and 
had  a  merry  time  till  daybreak.  As  they  went  home,  the  girls  all 
talked  at  once  about  how  much  they  had  enjoyed  themselves,  but 
the  boys  were  very  silent ; — they  were  thinking  of  the  beautiful 
Snegorotchka  with  the  blue  eyes  and  the  golden  hair. 

Every  day  after  that  Snegorotchka  played  with  the  other 
children,  and  taught  them  how  to  make  castles  and  palaces  of  snow, 
with  marble  halls  and  thrones  and  beautiful  fountains.  The  snow 
seemed  to  let  her  do  whatever  she  liked  with  it,  and  to  build  itself 
up  under  her  tiny  fingers  as  if  it  knew  exactly  what  shape  it  was 
to  take.  They  were  all  greatly  delighted  with  the  wonderful  things 
she  made  ;  but  when  she  showed  them  how  to  dance  as  the  snow- 
flakes  do,  first  in  a  brisk  whirl,  and  then  softly  and  lightly,  they 
could  think  of  nothing  else  but  Snegorotchka.  She  was  the  little 
fairy  queen  of  the  children,  the  delight  of  the  older  people,  and  the 
very  breath  of  life  to  old  Marusha  and  Youshko. 

And  now  the  winter  months  moved  on.  With  slow  and  steady 
stride  they  went  from  mountain  top  to  mountain  top,  around  the 
circle  of  the  sky-line.  The  earth  began  to  clothe  itself  in  green. 
The  great  trees,  holding  out  their  naked  arms  like  huge  babies 
waiting  to  be  dressed,  were  getting  greener  and  greener,  and  last 
year's  birds  sat  in  their  branches  singing  this  year's  songs.  The 
early  flowers  shed  their  perfume  on  the  breeze,  and  now  and  then  a 
waft  of  warm  air,  straying  from  its  summer  haunts,  caressed  the 
cheek  and  breathed  a  glowing  promise  in  the  ear.  The  forests  and 
the  fields  were  stirring.  A  beautiful  spirit  brooded  over  the  face 
of  nature; — spring  was  trembling  on  the  leash  and  tugging  to  be 
free. 

One  afternoon  Marusha  was  sitting  in  the  inglenook  stirring 

4 


SNEGOROTCHKA 

the  soup  and  singing  a  mournful  song,  because  she  had  never  felt  so 
full  of  joy.  The  old  man  Youshko  had  just  brought  in  a  bundle  of 
wood  and  laid  it  on  the  hearth.  It  seemed  just  the  same  as  on  that 
winter's  afternoon  when  they  saw  the  children  dancing  round  their 
snow  man  ;  but  what  made  all  the  difference  was  Snegorotchka,  the 
apple  of  their  eye,  who  now  sat  by  the  window,  gazing  out  at  the 
green  grass  and  the  budding  trees. 

Youshko  had  been  looking  at  her ;  he  had  noticed  that  her  face 
was  pale  and  her  eyes  a  shade  less  blue  than  usual.  He  grew 
anxious  about  her. 

'Are  you  not  feeling  well,  Snegorotchka?'  he  asked. 

'  No,  Little  Father,'  she  replied  sadly.  '  I  miss  the  white  snow, 
— oh  !  so  much  ;  the  green  grass  is  not  half  as  beautiful.  I  wish  the 
snow  would  come  again.' 

'  Oh !  yes ;  the  snow  will  come  again,'  replied  the  old  man. 
'  But  don't  you  like  the  leaves  on  the  trees  and  the  blossoms  and 
the  flowers,  my  darling?' 

'  They  are  not  so  beautiful  as  the  pure,  white  snow.'  And 
Snegorotchka  shuddered. 

The  next  day  she  looked  so  pale  and  sad  that  they  were  alarmed, 
and  glanced  at  one  another  anxiously. 

'  What  ails  the  child  ? '  said  Marusha. 

Youshko  shook  his  head  and  looked  from  Snegorotchka  to  the 
fire,  and  then  back  again. 

'  My  child,'  he  said  at  last,  'why  don't  you  go  out  and  play  with 
the  others  ?  They  are  all  enjoying  themselves  among  the  flowers  in 
the  forest ;  but  I  Ve  noticed  you  never  play  with  them  now.  Why 
is  it,  my  darling?' 

'  I  don't  know,  Little  Father,  but  my  heart  seems  to  turn  to 
water  when  the  soft  warm  wind  brings  the  scent  of  the  blossoms.' 

'  But  we  will  come  with  you,  my  child,'  said  the  old  man.  '  I 
will  put  my  arm  about  you  and  shield  you  from  the  wind.  Come, 
we  will  show  you  all  the  pretty  flowers  in  the  grass,  and  tell  you 
their  names,  and  you  will  just  love  them, — all  of  them.' 

5 


SNEGOROTCHKA 

So  Marusha  took  the  pot  off  the  fire  and  then  they  all  went  out 
together,  Youshko  with  his  arm  round  Snegorotchka  to  shield  her 
from  the  wind.  But  they  had  not  gone  far  when  the  warm  perfume 
of  the  flowers  was  wafted  to  them  on  the  breeze,  and  the  child 
trembled  like  a  leaf.  They  both  comforted  her  and  kissed  her,  and 
then  they  went  on  towards  the  spot  where  the  flowers  grew  thickly 
in  the  grass.  But,  as  they  passed  a  clump  of  big  trees,  a  bright  ray 
of  sunlight  struck  through  like  a  dart  and  Snegorotchka  put  her 
hand  over  her  eyes  and  gave  a  cry  of  pain. 

They  stood  still  and  looked  at  her.  For  a  moment,  as  she 
drooped  upon  the  old  man's  arm,  her  eyes  met  theirs  ;  and  on  her 
upturned  face  were  swiftly  running  tears  which  sparkled  in  the 
sunlight  as  they  fell.  Then,  as  they  watched  her,  she  grew  smaller 
and  smaller,  until,  at  last,  all  that  was  left  of  Snegorotchka  was  a 
little  patch  of  dew  shining  on  the  grass.  One  tear-drop  had  fallen 
into  the  cup  of  a  flower.  Youshko  gathered  that  flower — very  gently 
— and  handed  it  to  Marusha  without  a  word. 

They  both  understood  now.  Their  darling  was  just  a  little  girl 
made  of  snow,  and  she  had  melted  away  in  the  warmth  of  the 
sunlight. 


THE     BURIED     MOON 


THE   BURIED   MOON 

AN   ENGLISH    FAIRY   TALE 

IN  my  old  Granny's  days,  long,  long — oh,  so  long  ago,  Garland  was 
just  a  collection  of  bogs.  Pools  of  black  water  lay  in  the  hollows, 
and  little  green  rivulets  scurried  away  here  and  there  like  long 
lizards  trying  to  escape  from  their  tails,  while  every  tuft  that 
you  trod  upon  would  squirt  up  at  you  like  anything.  Oh  !  it  was  a 
nice  place  to  be  in  on  a  dark  night,  I  give  you  my  word. 

Now,  I  've  heard  my  Granny  say  that  a  long  time  before  her  day 
the  Moon  got  trapped  and  buried  in  the  bog.  I  '11  tell  you  the  tale 
as  she  used  to  tell  it  to  me. 

On  some  nights  the  beautiful  Moon  rose  up  in  the  sky  and 
shone  brighter  and  brighter,  and  the  people  blessed  her  because  by 
her  wonderful  light  they  could  find  their  way  home  at  night  through 
the  treacherous  bogs.  But  on  other  nights  she  did  not  come,  and 
then  it  was  so  dark  that  the  traveller  could  not  find  his  way ;  and, 
besides,  the  Evil  Things  that  feared  the  light — toads  and  creepy, 
crawly  things,  to  say  nothing  of  Bogles  and  Little  Bad  People — 
came  out  in  the  darkness  to  do  all  the  harm  they  could,  for  they 
hated  the  people  and  were  always  trying  to  lead  them  astray.  Many 
a  poor  man  going  home  in  the  dark  had  been  enticed  by  these 
malevolent  things  into  quicksands  and  mud  pools.  When  the  Moon 
was  away  and  the  night  was  black,  these  vile  creatures  had  their 
will. 

When  the  Moon  learned  about  this,  she  was  very  grieved,  for 
she  is  a  sweet,  kind  body,  who  spends  nights  without  sleep,  so  as  to 
show  a  light  for  people  going  home.  She  was  troubled  about  it  all, 
and  said  to  herself,  '  I  '11  just  go  down  and  see  how  matters  stand.' 

7 


THE   BURIED   MOON 

So,  when  the  dark  end  of  the  month  came  round,  she  stepped 
down  out  of  the  sky,  wrapped  from  head  to  foot  in  her  black 
travelling  cloak  with  the  hood  drawn  over  her  bright  golden  hair. 
For  a  moment  she  stood  at  the  edge  of  the  marshes,  looking  this 
way  and  that.  Everywhere,  as  far  as  she  could  see,  was  the  dismal 
bog,  with  pools  of  black  water,  and  gnarled,  fantastic-looking  snags 
sticking  up  here  and  there  amid  the  dank  growth  of  weeds  and 
grasses.  There  was  no  light  save  the  feeble  glimmer  of  the  stars 
reflected  in  the  gloomy  pools  ;  but,  upon  the  grass  where  she  stood,  a 
bright  ring  of  moonlight  shone  from  her  feet  beneath  her  cloak. 

She  saw  this  and  drew  her  garments  closer  about  her.  It  was 
cold,  and  she  was  trembling.  She  feared  that  vast  expanse  of  bog 
and  its  evil  creatures,  but  she  was  determined  to  face  the  matter  out 
and  see  exactly  how  the  thing  stood. 

Guided  by  the  light  that  streamed  from  her  feet,  she  advanced 
into  the  bog.  As  the  summer  wind  stirs  one  tussock  after  another, 
so  she  stepped  onward  between  the  slimy  ponds  and  deadly  quag 
mires.  Now  she  reached  a  jet-black  pool,  and  all  too  late  she  saw 
the  stars  shining  in  its  depths.  Her  foot  tripped  and  all  she  could 
do  was  to  snatch  at  an  overhanging  branch  of  a  snag  as  she  fell 
forward.  To  this  she  clung,  but,  fast  as  she  gripped  it,  faster  still 
some  tendrils  from  the  bough  whipped  round  her  wrists  like 
manacles  and  held  her  there  a  prisoner.  She  struggled  and 
wrenched  and  tugged  with  all  her  might  and  main,  but  the  tendrils 
only  tightened  and  cut  into  her  wrists  like  steel  bands. 

As  she  stood  there  shivering  in  the  dark  and  wondering  how  to 
free  herself,  she  heard  far  away  in  the  bog  a  voice  calling  through  the 
night.  It  was  a  wailing  cry,  dying  away  in  despair.  She  listened 
and  listened,  and  the  repeated  cry  came  nearer ;  then  she  heard 
footsteps — halting,  stumbling  and  slipping.  At  last,  by  the  dim 
light  of  the  stars,  she  saw  a  haggard,  despairing  face  with  fearful 
eyes  ;  and  then  she  knew  it  was  a  poor  man  who  had  lost  his  way 
and  was  floundering  on  to  his  death.  Now  he  caught  sight  of  a 
gleam  of  light  from  the  captive  Moon,  and  made  his  uncertain  way 

8 


THE  BURIED  MOON 

In  her  frantic  struggles  the  hood  of  her  cloak  fell  back 
from  her  dazzling  golden  hair,  and  immediately  the 
whole  place  was  flooded  with  light. 


[See  page  9 


THE   BURIED   MOON 

towards  it,  thinking  it  meant  help.  As  he  came  nearer  and  nearer 
the  pool,  the  Moon  saw  that  her  light  was  luring  him  to  his  death, 
and  she  felt  so  very  sorry  for  him,  and  so  angry  with  herself  that  she 
struggled  fiercely  at  the  cords  that  held  her.  It  was  all  in  vain,  but, 
in  her  frantic  struggles,  the  hood  of  her  cloak  fell  back  from  her 
dazzling  golden  hair,  and  immediately  the  whole  place  was  flooded 
with  light,  which  fell  on  muddy  pools  and  quicks  and  quags, 
glinting  on  the  twisted  roots  and  making  the  whole  place  as  clear 
as  day. 

How  glad  the  wayfarer  was  to  see  the  light  I  How  pleased  he 
was  to  see  all  the  Evil  Things  of  the  dark  scurrying  back  into  their 
holes  I  He  could  now  find  his  way,  and  he  made  for  the  edge  of  the 
treacherous  marsh  with  such  haste  that  he  had  not  time  to  wonder 
at  the  strange  thing  that  had  happened.  He  did  not  know  that  the 
blessed  light  that  showed  him  his  path  to  safety  shone  from  the 
radiant  hair  of  the  Moon,  bound  fast  to  a  snag  and  half  buried  in 
the  bog.  And  the  Moon  herself  was  so  glad  he  was  safe,  that  she 
forgot  her  own  danger  and  need.  But,  as  she  watched  him  making 
good  his  escape  from  the  terrible  dangers  of  the  marshes,  she  was 
overcome  by  a  great  longing  to  follow  him.  This  made  her  tug  and 
strain  again  like  a  demented  creature,  until  she  sank  exhausted,  but 
not  free,  in  the  mud  at  the  foot  of  the  snag.  As  she  did  so,  her  head 
fell  forward  on  her  breast,  and  the  hood  of  her  cloak  again  covered 
her  shining  hair. 

At  that  moment,  just  as  suddenly  as  the  light  had  shone  out 
before,  the  darkness  came  down  with  a  swish,  and  all  the  vile  things 
that  loved  it  came  out  of  their  hiding-places  with  a  kind  of 
whispering  screech  which  grew  louder  and  louder  as  they  swarmed 
abroad  on  the  marshes.  Now  they  gathered  round  the  poor  Moon, 
snarling  and  scratching  at  her  and  screaming  hateful  mockeries  at 
her.  At  last  they  had  her  in  their  power — their  old  foe  whose  light 
they  could  not  endure ;  the  Bright  One  whose  smile  of  light  sent 
them  scurrying  away  into  their  crevices  and  defeated  their  fell 
designs. 

B  9 


THE  BURIED  MOON 

'  Hell  roast  thee  ! '  cried  an  ugly  old  witch-thing ;  '  thou  'rt  the 
meddlesome  body  that  spoils  all  our  brews.' 

'  Out  on  thee  I '  shrieked  the  bogle-bodies  ;  '  if  'twere  not  for 
thee  we  'd  have  the  marsh  to  ourselves.' 

And  there  was  a  great  clamour — as  out-of-tune  as  out-of-tune 
could  be.  All  the  things  of  darkness  raised  their  harsh  and  cracked 
voices  against  the  Bright  One  of  the  sky.  '  Ha,  ha  ! '  and  '  Ho,  ho  I ' 
and  '  He,  he ! '  mingled  with  chuckles  of  fiendish  glee,  until  it 
seemed  as  if  the  very  trickles  and  gurgles  of  the  bog  were  joining 
in  the  orgy  of  hate. 

'  Burn  her  with  corpse-lights  ! '  yelled  the  witch. 

'  Ha,  ha !  He,  he  ! '  came  the  chorus  of  evil  creatures. 

'  Truss  her  up  and  stifle  her ! '  screamed  the  creeping  things. 
'  Spin  webs  round  her  I '  And  the  spiders  of  the  night  swarmed  all 
over  her. 

'  Sting  her  to  death  ! '  said  the  Scorpion  King  at  the  head  of  his 
brood. 

'  Ho,  ho  1  He,  he ! '  And,  as  each  vile  thing  had  something 
to  say  about  it,  a  horrible,  screeching  dispute  arose,  while  the 
captive  Moon  crouched  shuddering  at  the  foot  of  the  snag  and  gave 
herself  up  as  lost. 

The  dim  grey  light  of  the  early  dawn  found  them  still  hissing 
and  clawing  and  screeching  at  one  another  as  to  the  best  way  to 
dispose  of  the  captive.  Then,  when  the  first  rosy  ray  shot  up  from 
the  Sun,  they  grew  afraid.  Some  scuttled  away,  but  those  who 
remained  hastened  to  do  something — anything  that  would  smother 
the  light  of  the  Moon.  The  only  thing  they  could  think  of  now  was 
to  bury  her  in  the  mud, — bury  her  deep.  They  were  all  agreed  on 
this  as  the  quickest  way. 

So  they  clutched  her  with  skinny  fingers  and  pushed  her  down 
into  the  black  mud  beneath  the  water  at  the  foot  of  the  snag. 
When  they  had  all  stamped  upon  her,  the  bogle-bodies  ran  quickly 
and  fetched  a  big  black  stone  which  they  hurled  on  top  of  her  to 
keep  her  down.  Then  the  old  witch  called  two  will-o'-the-wisps  from 

10 


THE  BURIED  MOON 

the  darkest  part  of  the  marshes,  and,  when  they  came  dancing  and 
glancing  above  the  pools  and  quicks,  she  bade  them  keep  watch  by 
the  grave  of  the  Moon,  and,  if  she  tried  to  get  out,  to  sound  an 
alarm. 

Then  the  horrid  things  crept  away  from  the  morning  light, 
chuckling  to  themselves  over  the  funeral  of  the  Moon,  and  only 
wishing  they  could  bury  the  Sun  in  the  same  way;  but  that  was 
a  little  too  much  to  hope  for,  and  besides,  all  respectable  Horrors 
of  the  Bog  ought  to  be  asleep  in  bed  during  the  Sun's  journey 
across  the  sky. 

The  poor  Moon  was  now  buried  deep  in  the  black  mud,  with 
a  heavy  stone  on  top  of  her.  Surely  she  could  never  again  thwart 
their  plans  of  evil,  hatched  and  nurtured  in  the  foul  darkness  of  the 
quags.  She  was  buried  deep ;  they  had  left  no  sign ;  who  would 
know  where  to  look  for  her  ? 

Day  after  day  passed  by  until  the  time  of  the  New  Moon  was 
eagerly  looked  for  by  the  good  folk  who  dwelt  around  the  marshes, 
for  they  knew  they  had  no  friend  like  the  Moon,  whose  light  enabled 
them  to  find  the  pathways  through  the  bog-land,  and  drove  away 
all  the  vile  things  into  their  dark  holes  and  corners.  So  they  put 
lucky  pennies  in  their  pouches  and  straws  in  their  hats,  and  searched 
for  the  crescent  Moon  in  the  sky.  But  evening  twilight  brought 
no  Moon,  which  was  not  strange,  for  she  was  buried  deep  in  the 
bog. 

The  nights  were  pitch  dark,  and  the  Horrors  held  frolic  in  the 
marshes  and  swarmed  abroad  in  ever-increasing  numbers,  so  that 
no  traveller  was  safe.  The  poor  people  were  so  frightened  and 
dumbfounded  at  being  forsaken  by  the  friendly  Moon,  that  some  of 
them  went  to  the  old  Wise  Woman  of  the  Mill  and  besought  her 
to  find  out  what  was  the  matter. 

The  Wise  Woman  gazed  long  into  her  magic  mirror,  and  then 
made  a  brew  of  herbs,  into  which  she  looked  just  as  long,  muttering 
words  that  nobody  but  herself  could  understand. 

'  It's  very  strange,'  she  said  at  last ;  '  but  there's  nought  to  say 

1 1 


THE  BURIED  MOON 

what  has  become  of  her.     I  '11  look  again  later  on  ;   meantime  if  ye 
do  learn  anything,  let  me  know.' 

So  they  went  away  more  mystified  than  ever,  and,  as  the  follow 
ing  nights  brought  no  Moon,  they  could  do  nothing  but  stand  about 
in  groups  in  the  streets  discussing  the  strange  thing.  The  dis 
appearance  of  the  Moon  was  the  one  topic.  By  the  fireside,  at  the 
work-bench,  in  the  inn  and  all  about,  their  tongues  went  nineteen  to 
the  dozen  ;  and  no  wonder,  for  who  had  ever  heard  of  the  Moon 
being  lost,  stolen  or  strayed  ? 

But  it  chanced  one  day  that  a  man  from  the  other  side  of  the 
marshes  was  sitting  in  the  inn,  smoking  his  pipe  and  listening  to  the 
talk  of  the  other  inmates,  when  all  of  a  sudden  he  sat  bolt  upright, 
slapped  his  thigh  and  cried  out,  '  I'  fegs !  Now  I  mind  where  that 
there  Moon  be ! ' 

Then  he  told  them  how  one  night  he  had  got  lost  in  the 
marshes  and  was  frightened  to  death ;  how  he  went  blundering  on 
in  the  dark  with  all  the  Evil  Things  after  him,  and,  at  last,  how 
a  great  bright  light  burst  out  of  a  pool  and  showed  him  the  way 
to  go. 

When  they  heard  this  they  all  took  the  shortest  cut  to  the  Wise 
Woman,  and  told  her  the  man's  story.  After  a  long  look  in  the 
mirror  and  the  pot,  she  wagged  her  head  slowly  and  said,  '  It 's  all 
dark,  children.  You  see,  being  as  there's  no  Moon  to  conjure  by, 
I  can't  tell  ye  where  she 's  gone  or  what 's  made  off  with  her — which 
same  I  could  tell  ye  fine  if  she  was  in  her  right  place.  But  mebbe, 
if  ye  do  what  I  'm  going  to  tell  ye,  then  ye  may  hap  on  her  your 
selves.  Listen  now !  Just  before  the  darklings  come,  each  of  ye 
take  a  stone  in  your  mouth  and  a  twig  of  the  witch-hazel  in  your 
hands,  and  go  into  the  marshes  without  fear.  Speak  no  word,  for 
fear  of  your  lives,  but  keep  straight  on  till  ye  come  to  a  spot  where 
ye '11  see  a  coffin  with  a  cross  and  a  candle  on  it.  That's  where  ye '11 
find  your  Moon,  I  'm  thinking,  if  ye  're  lucky. 

So  the  next  night  as  the  dark  began  to  fall  they  all  trooped  out 
into  the  marshes,  each  with  a  stone  in  his  mouth  and  a  twig  of  the 

12 


THE  BURIED  MOON 

witch-hazel  in  his  hands.  Never  a  word  they  spoke,  but  kept 
straight  on ;  and,  I  'm  telling  you,  there  was  not  one  among  them 
but  had  the  creeps  and  the  starts.  They  could  see  nothing  around 
them  but  bogs  and  pools  and  snags ;  but  strange  sighing  whispers 
brushed  past  their  ears,  and  cold  wet  hands  sought  theirs  and  tugged 
at  the  hazel  twigs.  But  all  at  once,  while  looking  everywhere  for 
the  coffin  with  the  cross  and  the  candle,  they  espied  the  big,  strange 
stone,  and  it  looked  just  like  a  coffin  ;  while  at  the  head  of  it  was  a 
black  cross  formed  by  the  branches  of  the  snag,  and  on  this  cross 
flickered  a  tiny  light  just  like  a  candle. 

When  they  saw  these  things  they  all  knew  that  what  the  Wise 
Woman  had  told  them  was  true :  they  were  not  far  from  their 
beloved  Moon.  But,  being  mighty  feared  of  Bogles  and  the  other 
Evil  Things,  they  all  went  down  on  their  knees  in  the  mud  and  said 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  once  forwards,  in  keeping  with  the  cross,  and 
once  backwards  to  keep  off  the  Horrors  of  the  Darkness.  All  this 
they  said  in  their  minds,  without  saying  a  word  aloud,  for  they 
well  knew  what  would  happen  to  them  if  they  neglected  the  Wise 
Woman's  advice. 

Then  they  rose  up  and  laid  hands  on  the  great  stone  and  heaved 
it  up.  And  my  Granny  says,  that  as  they  did  it,  some  of  them  saw, 
just  for  one  tiddy-widdy  little  waste  of  a  minute,  the  most  beautiful 
face  in  the  world  gazing  up  at  them  with  wistful  eyes  like — like — 
I  really  can't  remember  how  my  Granny  described  them,  but  it  was 
either  '  pools  of  gratitude '  or  '  lakes  of  love.'  At  all  events,  this  is 
exactly  what  happened  when  the  stone  was  rolled  right  over,  and  it 
was  said  so  quickly  that  not  one  of  them  could  describe  it  after 
wards  :  '  Thanks,  brave  folk  I  I  shall  never  forget  your  kindness/ 
as  the  Moon  stepped  up  out  of  the  black  pool  into  her  place  in 
the  sky. 

Then  they  were  all  astonished  beyond  words,  for,  suddenly,  all 
around  was  the  silver  light,  making  the  safe  ways  between  the  bogs 
as  clear  as  day.  There  was  a  sudden  rush  of  weird  things  to  their 
lairs,  and  then  all  was  still  and  bright.  Looking  up,  they  saw  with 

13 


THE  BURIED  MOON 

delight  the  full  Moon  sailing  in  the  sky  and  smiling  down  upon 
them.  She  was  there  to  light  them  home  again.  She  was  there 
to  stampede  the  Evil  Things — the  Bogles  and  the  Bad  Little  People 
— back  into  their  vile  dens.  And,  as  the  people  looked  around 
and  wondered,  it  almost  seemed  to  them  that  this  time  she  had  killed 
the  Horrors  dead — never  to  come  to  life  again. 


WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK 

CAROLINE 


WHITE   CAROLINE  AND   BLACK   CAROLINE 

A   FLEMISH    FAIRY   TALE 

Come,  come,  Caroline, 
White,  white,  child  d  mine  / 

/  hate  you,  HATE  you, 

And,  at  any  rate,  you 
A  re  no  child  d  mine  / 

Come,  come,  Caroline, 
Black,  black,  child  o'  mine  ! 
I  bore  you,  adore  you, 
Will  give  whatever  more  you 
Want,  O  child  d  mine  > 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  mother  who  had  two  daughters,  both 
named  Caroline.  People  called  one  'White  Caroline,'  because  she 
was  so  beautiful.  But  her  mother  could  not  see  it,  because  the  child 
was  not  really  her  own.  The  other  was  called  '  Black  Caroline '  by 
the  people,  because  she  was  so  ugly.  Black  Caroline  was  the  favourite 
of  her  mother,  and  received  everything  she  could  desire. 

Now  one  day  it  so  happened  that  an  old  shepherd  was  passing 
by,  and  with  him  he  had  three  little  lambs ;  and  he  smiled  on  seeing 
White  Caroline,  and  he  caressed  her  head,  and  the  little  lambs  came 
close  and  rubbed  themselves  against  her  little  white  dress.  White 
Caroline  was  exceedingly  pleased  with  all  this.  Now  Black  Caroline, 
standing  on  the  winding  stairs,  also  wanted  to  see ;  and,  coming  to 
the  door,  she  half  opened  it.  But  as  soon  as  the  old  shepherd  saw 
her  face,  he  turned  and  started  on  his  way,  and  the  three  little  lambs 
bleated  and  beat  their  heads  together,  because  Black  Caroline  was 
so  ugly  ; — but  she  was  good  all  the  same  1 

15 


WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE 

And  their  mother,  in  her  heart,  could  not  stand  this,  so  she  said  : 

'  White  Caroline  must  die,  cost  what  it  will! ' 

And  so  she  thought  and  thought  during  seven  days  how  she 
could  get  rid  of  White  Caroline.  Then,  one  day,  she  went  behind  a 
hedge  and  said : 

'  Hedge,  Thorn-hedge,  give  me  a  dozen  deadly  thorns,  each  one 
an  inch  long ! ' 

And  the  hedge  gave  her  a  dozen  deadly  thorns,  each  thorn  an 
inch  long.  Then  their  mother  returned  home,  and  showed  them  to 
Black  Caroline. 

'  Pay  attention,  Black  Caroline,'  she  said ;  '  this  evening  when 
you  go  to  bed  you  must  sleep  at  the  edge,  and  the  inside  place  must 
be  for  White  Caroline ;  because  I  am  going  to  conceal  all  the  little 
thorns  in  her  pillow ;  and  she  will  die  when  she  puts  her  head  upon 
her  pillow,  and  then  you,  alone,  shall  be  more  than  ever  the  pet  child 
of  your  mother  1 ' 

And  Black  Caroline  said,  'Very  well!' 

But  that  evening,  when  White  Caroline  was  about  to  get  into 
bed,  Black  Caroline  took  her  by  the  arm  and  said  : 

'White  Caroline,  I  love  you  very  much  ;  and  you  must  not  tell 
mother ;  but  she  is  trying  to  kill  you.  There  are  a  dozen  deadly 
thorns  in  your  pillow ;  go  to  sleep  all  the  same,  but  we  '11  put  our 
heads  at  the  foot  of  the  bed  1 ' 

And  White  Caroline,  full  of  joy,  took  Black  Caroline  in  her  little 
arms  and  they  slept  together  I ' 

The  following  morning  they  heard  a  rat-a-tat  on  the  stairs. 

'  Here  !  Black  Caroline  !     Are  you  there  ? ' 

It  was  their  mother  calling  from  the  bottom  of  the  stairs. 

'  Yes,  my  dear  little  mother,  I  am  here  ! '  said  White  Caroline. 

Their  mother  was  in  a  terrible  rage  because  White  Caroline  was 
not  dead.  She  at  once  mounted  the  stairs  to  see  if  Black  Caroline 
was  alive.  But  even  then  she  could  not  understand  how  it  was  that 
White  Caroline  was  not  dead,  and  once  again  rage  overcame  her  I 

Now  it  happened  that  one  day  a  musician  was  passing  by  their 

16 


WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE 

And,  when  he  saw  White  Caroline,  he  started  to  play  on 
his  organ  the  most  beautiful  airs  that  it  was  possible  to 
hear,  and  the  three  little  dogs  commenced  to  dance 
together. 


[.See  page  17 


WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE 

house :  and  he  had  with  him  three  little  dogs ;  and,  when  he  saw 
White  Caroline,  he  started  to  play  on  his  organ  the  most  beautiful 
airs  that  it  was  possible  to  hear,  and  the  three  little  dogs  commenced 
to  dance  together.  White  Caroline  was  exceedingly  pleased  !  But 
Black  Caroline,  who  was  on  the  winding  stairs,  came  down  and  half 
opened  the  door  because  she  wanted  to  see  also.  But,  as  soon  as  the 
musician  saw  the  face  of  Black  Caroline,  he  ceased  to  play,  and  the 
three  little  dogs  hid  their  heads  under  a  sack  because  Black  Caroline 
was  so  ugly — but  she  was  also  very  good. 

And  their  mother,  in  her  heart,  could  not  stand  that,  so  she  said  : 

'  White  Caroline  must  die,  cost  what  it  will/' 

She  thought  and  thought  during  seven  days  how  she  could  rid 
herself  of  White  Caroline.  At  last  she  went  to  an  old  witch,  and 
bought  the  most  violent  poison  that  could  be  got. 

On  arriving  home  she  called  Black  Caroline  and  said  : 

'  Pay  attention,  Black  Caroline  ;  when  at  dinner  to-day,  do  not 
eat  of  the  little  meat-balls.  Say  you  have  a  pain  in  your  head ; 
because  I  am  going  to  put  this  poison  in  the  meat,  and  then  White 
Caroline  will  eat  it,  and  she  will  die  ;  and  then  you  will  be  more 
than  ever  the  pet  of  your  mother  1 ' 

And  Black  Caroline  said,  '  Very  well  I' 

But,  at  dinner  time,  when  White  Caroline  was  about  to  eat  from 
her  plate,  she  took  her  by  the  arm  and  said  : 

'  White  Caroline,  I  love  you  very  much,  but  you  must  not  tell 
mother ;  she  wishes  your  death,  and  she  has  put  poison  in  your 
meat.  Tell  her  that  we  will  eat  our  dinner  outside  the  house,  so  that 
the  cat  may  not  eat  the  birds  and  so  that  the  crows  may  not  eat  the 
grain.  Then  you  can  throw  your  portion  away.' 

Then  White  Caroline,  full  of  joy,  took  Black  Caroline  in  her 
little  arms  and  they  went  out  together. 

A  little  while  after  they  heard  a  rat-a-tat  at  the  garden  door. 

'  Here !  Black  Caroline !     Are  you  there  ? ' 

It  was  their  mother  calling  from  the  inside  of  the  house. 

'  Yes,  my  dear  little  mother,  I  am  here ! '  said  White  Caroline, 
c  17 


WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE 

And  their  mother  was  in  a  great  rage  because  White  Caroline 
was  not  dead.  Then  she  went  out  to  see  if  Black  Caroline  was  still 
alive.  And  she  had  still  her  plate  full  of  meat,  and  she  was  shedding 
tears  of  blood,  because  she  had  such  a  bad  headache.  And  their 
mother  could  not  understand  how  it  was  that  White  Caroline  was 
not  dead,  and  she  boiled  with  rage. 

And  one  day  it  happened  that  a  tradesman  was  passing  the  house 
with  sweets  and  cakes  in  his  van,  and  when  he  saw  White  Caroline, 
he  showed  her  all  the  sweets  and  cakes  and  nuts.  White  Caroline 
was  so  happy,  because  the  tradesman  gave  her  nuts  and  sweets  for 
nothing,  just  because  she  was  so  pretty.  But  Black  Caroline,  who 
was  coming  down  the  winding  stairs,  came  out  to  see. 

As  soon  as  the  man  saw  Black  Caroline,  he  mounted  his  van 
and  drove  away  at  full  gallop,  because  she  was  so  ugly — but  she 
was  good  all  the  same. 

And  her  mother  could  not  stand  that,  so  she  said : 

'  White  Caroline  must  die,  cost  what  it  will!' 

Then  she  went  to  an  old  miller  and  asked  him  if  he  could  place 
the  mill  against  four  little  sticks,  so  that  whoever  touched  the  mill  it 
would  fall  on  them  and  crush  them.  And  the  old  miller  said  :  '  Yes, 
it  can  be  done  very  well,  and  the  mill  will  be  placed  thus  in  fourteen 
days.  I  will  see  to  it  at  once.' 

Their  mother  was  very  pleased,  and  she  showed  Black  Caroline 
how  the  mill  would  be  placed,  and  said  to  her : 

'  Pay  attention,  Black  Caroline :  when  you  go  with  the  sack  of 
flour  to  the  mill,  you  must  let  it  drag  and  be  overcome,  before  you 
arrive  near  the  little  sticks  that  support  the  mill.  White  Caroline 
must  take  it  all  alone.  As  soon  as  she  touches  the  little  sticks  she 
will  be  crushed  by  the  mill,  and  then  you  will  be  more  than  ever  the 
pet  of  your  mother ! ' 

And  Black  Caroline  said,  '  f^ery  well  I ' 

But  the  next  day,  when  White  Caroline  walked  near  the  little 
sticks,  Black  Caroline  stopped  her  and  said  : 

'  White  Caroline,  I  love  you  very  much,  and  you  must  not  tell 

18 


WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE 

mother ;  but  she  intends  that  you  shall  die,  and  she  has  caused  these 
little  sticks  to  be  placed  like  that,  so  that  the  mill  will  fall  on  you 
and  crush  you.  Throw  the  sack  on  the  sticks — so  1 ' 

And  White  Caroline,  full  of  joy,  took  Black  Caroline  in  her 
little  arms,  and  so  they  went  back.  And  it  was  well  they  did,  for 
there  were  five  little  rats  in  that  sack  of  flour,  and  all  those  five  were 
killed  when  the  mill  fell  down. 

Then  they  heard  a  rat-a-tat,  and  the  voice  of  their  mother 
calling  :  '  Here  !  Black  Caroline !  Are  you  there  ? ' 

'Yes,  little  mother,  I  am  here,'  answered  White  Caroline. 

And  the  mother  was  very  cross  to  find  that  White  Caroline  was 
not  dead.  And  she  ran  quickly  to  the  mill  to  see  if  Black  Caroline 
was  alive.  And,  when  she  came  back  and  found  her,  she  was  crying 
tears  of  blood  because  she  ached  in  every  limb  and  could  not  walk 
And  her  mother  could  not  understand  how  it  was  that  White 
Caroline  was  not  dead,  and  she  boiled  with  rage. 

She  took  Black  Caroline  home  and  put  her  in  her  little  bed. 
Then  she  set  out  to  find  White  Caroline  with  intent  to  kill  her; 
but  White  Caroline  had  gone  far  away  where  her  mother  could  not 
get  at  her. 

On  her  journey  she  came  to  a  great  stretch  of  water  and  she 
could  not  cross  over.  But  suddenly  she  saw  many  arms,  as  black 
as  pitch,  held  out  over  the  water  so  that  they  formed  a  bridge. 
White  Caroline  did  not  know  whether  to  pass  over  this  bridge  or 
to  go  back.  She  began  to  cry  bitterly  ;  then,  plucking  up  courage, 
she  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  and  ran  upon  them. 

When  she  came  to  the  middle,  the  arms  gave  way,  and  White 
Caroline  would  have  been  drowned  had  she  not  been  held  by  the 
heels  of  her  little  wooden  shoes.  And  the  water-nymphs  and 
vampires  were  all  around  her. 

Then,  suddenly,  a  beautiful  woman  all  in  white  came  running  to 
her  aid.  And,  though  the  claws  of  the  Evil  Things  were  now  pulling 
her  down  by  the  heels  of  her  little  shoes,  the  White  Woman  was  in 
time  to  save  her  just  as  she  was  on  the  point  of  being  drowned. 


WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE 

Then  the  White  Woman  turned  to  the  water-nymphs  and 
vampires  : 

'  Be  still,  all  of  you  I     Down  to  your  dens,  and  say  I  sent  ye ! ' 

Then  she  led  White  Caroline  to  the  other  side  of  the  water. 
And  there  she  looked  at  her,  and  kissed  her,  and  loved  her  as  her 
own,  because  she  was  so  beautiful. 

This  White  Woman  was  the  Queen  of  all  the  water  and  the 
woods,  and  was  able,  in  her  domain,  to  grant  anything  that  any  one 
desired.  In  her  great  love  for  White  Caroline,  she  told  her  that  she 
could  have  whatever  she  wished. 

'  Would  you  like  to  eat  some  beautiful  grapes,  White  Caroline  ?' 
said  she.  Then  with  her  wand  she  tapped  a  vine,  and  behold, 
immediately  there  hung  beautiful  grapes  upon  it  1 

'Would  you  like  a  beautiful  dress  of  silk,  White  Caroline?' 
And  she  tapped  again  with  her  little  wand,  and,  immediately,  from 
a  chrysalis  hanging  from  the  vine,  a  lovely  dress  of  sky-blue  silk  was 
unfolded  before  her,  all  ready  to  put  on. 

And  the  nymphs  and  the  vampires  were  more  than  ever  afraid 
to  come  near  White  Caroline,  and  she  was  very  glad  of  that  indeed. 

'  Would  you  like  a  voyage  ? '  said  the  White  Woman.  And, 
immediately,  with  a  wave  of  her  wand,  she  pointed  it  at  a  little 
nautilus  sailing  on  the  water,  and  there,  in  another  moment,  stood 
a  beautiful  barque  with  all  sail  set.  And  so  White  Caroline  had 
everything  she  could  desire,  and  was  very  happy. 

But  one  day  a  King  came  by,  and  the  sound  of  his  trumpet 
rang  over  the  length  of  the  water  and  through  the  woods.  Quick — 
so  quick — the  White  Woman  ran  to  White  Caroline  and  said  to  her: 

'  White  Caroline,  the  time  has  come,  and  we  must  part ;  and 
you  will  never  see  me  again.  But,  before  I  go,  you  can  wish  for 
two  things  ;  and  whatever  you  wish,  it  shall  be  granted  you  1 ' 

With  that  the  White  Woman  vanished. 

Then  White  Caroline  wished  to  have  Black  Caroline  with  her. 
And  immediately  there  was  a  rustling  among  the  trees,  and  Black 
Caroline  stood  beside  her ! 

20 


WHITE  CAROLINE  AND  BLACK  CAROLINE 

The  two  Carolines  were  now  reunited.  But  White  Caroline 
was  sad  because  Black  Caroline  was  not  as  pretty  as  she  herself, 
and,  remembering  the  White  Woman's  promise,  she  resolved  to 
wish  that  they  might  both  be  exactly  the  same. 

Then  she  wished  that  both  of  them  should  be  changed  into 
something  exactly  alike ! 

Immediately  they  began  to  change.  Little  white  feathers 
appeared  on  their  shoulders  and  spread  until  they  were  entirely 
covered  ;  and  there  they  stood  together,  two  beautiful  white  swans  ! 
And  ever  after  they  swam  up  and  down  on  the  peaceful  water  and 
no  one  could  tell  one  from  the  other.  And  never  again  did  the 
nymphs  and  the  vampires  come  near  to  harm  them. 


SEVEN  CONQUERERS  OF  THE 
QUEEN  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 


THE   SEVEN   CONQUERORS   OF  THE   QUEEN 
OF  THE   MISSISSIPPI 

A   BELGIAN    FAIRY   TALE 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  boy  who  was  ambitious.  One  day  he 
said  to  his  mother :  '  Give  me  a  muffin  and  patch  my  trousers,  for 
I  am  going  to  set  out  to  win  the  Queen  of  the  Mississippi.' 

So  the  mother  gave  him  a  muffin  and  patched  his  trousers,  and 
the  boy  went  off. 

He  had  not  gone  very  far  when  he  came  to  a  mountain  path,  on 
which  was  a  great  cross,  beneath  which  stood  a  man  holding  a  bow 
with  an  arrow  fixed  on  the  string. 

This  man  looked  down  at  the  boy  as  if  to  say,  '  What  are  you 
doing  here  ? ' 

The  boy  immediately  answered  his  unspoken  question  by 
demanding,  '  Hello,  friend  !  What  are  you  doing  there?' 

'  You  see  that  fly  on  that  cross  ? '  said  the  man,  pointing  to  a 
minute  speck  on  one  of  its  arms.  '  Wait  then,  and  watch  me  1  I 
will  put  out  one  of  its  eyes.' 

With  this,  while  the  boy  watched,  he  drew  his  bow  to  the  full, 
and  let  the  arrow  fly. 

It  was  a  wonderful  shot,  for  one  of  the  eyes  of  the  fly  fell  on  the 
ground  at  the  foot  of  the  cross. 

The  boy  was  so  taken  with  this,  that  he  seemed  to  grow  two 
whole  years  in  half  a  minute.  To  look  at  him,  you  would  have 
thought  he  was  no  longer  a  boy.  He  drew  himself  up  proudly  to  his 
full  height,  and  said  in  the  voice  of  a  young  man : 

1  Will  you  travel  with  me,  my  pippy  ? ' 

1  Pardon  ? ' 

23 


THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

Then  it  was  question  and  answer  between  them  : 

4  Come,  travel  with  me,  my  pippy.' 

'  Oh  /   Whither  away  ?   To  old  Mandalay?' 
'  But  no  ;  to  the  far  Mississippi, 

Where  a  beautiful  Queen  holds  sway : 

And  I 'II  marry  that  Queen  some  day' 
'/  am  yours  !     And  the  bounty  ? ' 

'  Give  it  a  name  :  I  will  pay ' 

Then  the  young  man  took  his  muffin,  and,  breaking  off  a  little 
bit  of  it,  handed  it  to  the  man  with  the  bow  and  arrow. 

'  Keep  it,'  said  he ;  '  it 's  a  pledge  of  good  faith.' 

So  they  journeyed  on  together.  When  they  had  gone  some 
distance,  they  came  to  a  high  field,  and  in  the  middle  of  this  stood 
a  man  stock  still,  gazing  at  the  sun.  As  soon  as  the  young  man  saw 
him,  he  shouted  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice  :  'Hi!  What  are  you 
doing  there,  my  good  fellow?' 

'  I  am  just  waiting  for  it  to  get  a  little  more  dazzling,'  replied  the 
man,  still  keeping  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  midday  sun. 

As  soon  as  the  young  man  heard  this  he  seemed  to  grow  still 
more  in  stature.  Indeed,  he  seemed  to  be  almost  a  man. 

'Will  you  travel  with  me? '  he  said. 

'Pardon?' 

Then  it  was  question  and  answer  between  them : 

4  Come,  travel  with  me,  my  pippy.' 

'  Oh  !  Whither  away  ?   To  the  land  of  Cathay  ? ' 
'  But  no  ;  to  the  far  Mississippi, 

Where  a  beautiful  Queen  hath  sway, 

Who  has  stolen  my  heart  away' 
4  /  am  yours  !     And  the  bounty  ? ' 

'  What  you  will :  it 's  a  pleasure  to  pay' 

Then  the  young  man  took  his  muffin,  and,  breaking  off  a  little 
bit  of  it,  handed  it  to  the  man  who  gazed  at  the  sun. 
'  Keep  it,'  said  he  ;  '  it 's  a  pledge  of  good  faith.' 
So  they  journeyed  on  together. 

24 


THE  SEVEN  CONQUERORS  OF  THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 


"Hi!  friend!     Take  the  whole  castle,  with  the  Queen  and 
all  that  it  contains,  on  your  shoulders!" 


[See  page  29 


THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

When  they  had  gone  some  distance  further,  they  saw  a  man  who 
had  tied  his  legs  together. 

'  Hello !     What  are  you  doing  there,  my  friend  ? ' 

'  I  want  to  catch  that  hare  over  yonder ;  but  unless  I  tied  my 
legs  together  there  would  be  no  sport  in  it.' 

:  Will  you  travel  with  me  ? ' 

'  Pardon  ? ' 

4  Will  you  travel  with  me,  my  pippy  ? ' 

'  Oh  !   Whither  away  ?  To  Botany  Bay  ? ' 
'  But  no  ;  to  the  far  Mississippi, 

Where  a  Queen — tooral-ooral-i-ay — 

Is  waiting  for  what  I'm  to  say' 
'  I  am  yours  !     And  the  bounty  ? ' 

'  Either  here  or  in  Botany  Bay  ! ' 

Then  the  boy  took  his  muffin,  and,  breaking  off  a  little  piece, 
handed  it  to  him. 

'  Keep  it,'  said  he  ;  '  it 's  a  pledge  of  good  faith.' 

So  they  journeyed  on  together.  But  they  had  travelled  scarce 
a  league  when  they  met  a  man  who  was  carrying  ten  great  trees  in 
his  arms.  And  when  the  boy,  who  had  grown  into  a  young  man,  saw 
this,  he  was  immediately  full  grown. 

'  Hi !  my  friend  !     What  are  you  doing  there  ? ' 

'  My  mother  wants  some  wood,'  replied  the  man,  picking  a  few 
branches  off  the  trees  and  flinging  them  idly  on  the  roadside,  '  so  I 
am  just  taking  her  some.' 

'  Will  you  travel  with  me  ? ' 

'Pardon?' 

'  Will  you  travel  with  me,  my  pippy  ? ' 

'  Oh  !   Whither  away  ?     To  Rome  or  Pompeii  ? ' 
'  But  no ;  to  the  far  Mississippi: 

There's  a  Queen  of  great  beauty  that  way, 

And  there 's  no  one  but  Cupid  to  pay.' 
'  I  am  yours  !     And  the  bounty  ? ' 

1  Name  your  price :  it  shall  be  as  you  say.' 
D  25 


THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

Then  the  young  man  took  his  muffin,  and,  breaking  off  a  little 
bit  of  it,  handed  it  to  the  man  who  carried  the  trees. 

'  Keep  it,'  said  he  ;  '  it 's  a  pledge  of  good  faith.' 

So  they  journeyed  on  together.  They  were  still  a  long  way 
from  the  Mississippi  when  they  came  across  a  man  with  a  mouth 
large  enough  to  swallow  a  river.  When  the  boy,  who  had  become 
a  young  man  and  was  now  full  grown,  set  his  eyes  on  him,  his  beard 
and  moustache  began  to  sprout. 

'  Will  you  travel  with  me  ? ' 

'  Pardon  ? ' 

'  Come,  travel  with  me,  my  pippy. 

(Sing  merry-ton-ton-ta-lay.} 
To  the  land  of  the  far  Mississippi 

Where  the  crystalline  fountains  play  ; 

There 's  a  Queen  -who  will  not  say  me  nay.' 
'  I  am  yours  !     But  the  bounty  ? ' 

'  We  're picking  it  up  on  the  way.' 

Then  the  young  man  took  his  muffin,  and,  breaking  off  a  little 
bit  of  it,  handed  it  to  the  man  with  the  mouth  as  large  as  a 
river. 

'  Keep  it,'  said  he  ;  '  it 's  a  pledge  of  good  faith.' 

So  they  journeyed  on  together.  On  and  on  they  went  until 
at  last  they  came  to  a  great  hill-top,  and  there,  standing  on  the 
crest  of  it,  they  looked  down  into  an  immense  valley  where  they  saw 
a  man  engaged  in  eating  up  the  whole  earth.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
this  gigantic  meal  going  on,  the  boy,  who  had  become  a  young  man 
and  was  now  full  grown  with  moustache  and  beard,  appeared  like 
a  knight  errant.  One  could  see  that,  from  the  spurs  which  had 
grown  upon  his  heels. 

'  Hi  I     What  are  you  doing  there  ? ' 

'  I  am  so  terribly  hungry  that  nothing  less  than  the  whole  earth 
can  appease  my  appetite.' 

'  Will  you  travel  with  me  ? ' 

26 


THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

'  Pardon  ? ' 

*  Come,  travel  with  me,  my  pippy.' 

'  Oh  !   Whither  ?     Madras  or  Bombay  ? ' 
'  But  no  ;  to  that  far  Mississippi, 

Which  flows  from  the  gates  of  the  day  ; 

Where  a  Queen  all  in  purple  array 

Waits  for  me ' 

'  /  am  yours  /     And  the  bounty  ? ' 

'  Wouldn't  go  in  a  twenty-ton  dray  ! ' 

Then  the  young  man  took  his  muffin,  and,  breaking  off  a  little 
bit,  handed  it  to  the  man  who  was  eating  up  the  earth. 

'  Keep  it,'  said  he  ;  '  it 's  a  pledge  of  good  faith.' 

They  were  still  a  long  way  from  their  destination  when  they 
came  to  a  beautiful  castle  of  burnished  gold,  surrounded  by  a  very 
deep  moat  over  which  was  a  drawbridge ;  and  on  the  bridge  was 
a  golden  portcullis.  As  soon  as  they  arrived,  their  leader  rang  the 
bell.  When  the  door  was  opened,  the  travellers  entered,  and  the 
hero  asked  to  see  the  King. 

'What  do  you  want  with  the  King?'  replied  an  attendant, 
richly  attired. 

'  I  have  come  to  ask  for  the  hand  of  his  daughter,  the  Queen 
of  the  Mississippi,'  said  the  hero. 

'  That  is  all  very  well ;  but  consider  well  before  you  start  on 
such  an  undertaking ;  for  many  have  come  as  you  have  come  and 
have  lost  their  lives.' 

'  That  is  nothing,'  they  all  replied.     '  We  are  not  afraid  I ' 

Then  they  were  led  before  the  Queen,  and  all  were  com 
pletely  dazzled  by  her  beauty.  It  was  a  long  time  before  they 
realised  that  she  was  speaking  to  them.  At  last  they  understood 
her  to  say : 

'  Here  is  my  servant.     See  if  you  can  eat  more  than  he  does.' 

And  the  servant  sat  down  in  front  of  a  table  covered  with 
dishes  crowded  with  large  joints  of  meat.  And  behold,  he  ate  the 
whole  lot  up. 

27 


THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

'  Oh !  that  is  nothing  at  all,'  said  the  young  hero.  And, 
turning  to  the  man  who  ate  up  the  earth,  he  said  : 

'  Sit  down  there,  my  friend.'  Then  turning  again  to  the  servant, 
he  ordered  him  to  bring  in  the  biggest  bull  they  could  find. 

They  obeyed,  and  set  it  down  in  front  of  the  man  who  ate  the 
earth.  And,  in  presence  of  the  Queen,  he  swallowed  the  bull  whole, 
head  and  tail  and  everything ;  and  it  was  alive ! 

But  the  Queen  said,  '  You  have  not  won  me  yet ! ' 

And  then  she  called  in  a  second  servant  and  said  : 

1  Here  is  my  servant.     See  if  you  can  drink  more  than  he  can  ! ' 

And  immediately  the  servant  took  hold  of  a  whole  cask  of  wine, 
and  in  one  mouthful  drank  the  whole  lot  up. 

The  young  hero  said,  '  That  is  nothing  at  all ! '  Then,  turning 
to  the  man  with  a  mouth  as  big  as  a  river,  he  added : 

'  Come  here,  my  friend.  Place  yourself  on  your  stomach  on  the 
moat,  and  drink  well ! ' 

And  the  man  with  the  mouth  as  large  as  a  river  placed  himself 
on  his  stomach,  with  his  mouth  to  the  water  of  the  great  moat 
outside,  and  in  one  second  he  had  drunk  up  the  whole  moat,  fishes 
and  all,  absolutely  dry. 

But  the  Queen  still  said  they  had  not  won  her  1 

And  she  beckoned  another  servant.  Then,  turning  to  the 
young  man,  she  said :  '  See  if  you  can  run  better  than  he  can. 
There,'  she  said,  'at  the  top  of  that  high  mountain,  just  near  the 
sun,  lives  a  hermit.  Go  and  ask  him  what  it  is  he  wishes  to  say  to 
me.  Then  come  back  and  tell  me.' 

'  Oh  !  that  is  nothing  at  all,'  said  the  young  hero.  And,  turning 
to  the  man  who  ran  like  a  hare,  he  said :  '  Go  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain  and  come  back  with  the  message.' 

And  the  man  who  ran  like  a  hare  was  out  of  sight  in  a  second, 
and  before  they  could  count  three  he  had  returned  to  the  Queen  with 
the  message  that  the  hermit  was  dead,  which  the  Queen  had  known 
all  the  time. 

And  the  young  man  said  to  the  King : 

28 


THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI 

'  You  have  submitted  us  to  the  test,  and  we  have  carried  out  all 
that  you  wished  :  we  have  now  gained  the  Queen,  and  I  am  going  to 
take  her.' 

Then  the  King  got  very  angry  and  called  out  all  his  soldiers. 

The  young  man,  hearing  this,  said  to  the  man  with  the  strong 
arms: 

'  Hi !  friend  I  Take  the  whole  castle,  with  the  Queen  and  all 
that  it  contains,  on  your  shoulders  1 ' 

The  man  obeyed  and  they  went  on  their  way  I 

They  had  not  gone  a  great  distance  when  the  man  who  had 
gazed  at  the  sun  cried  out : 

'  In  the  distance  I  can  see  that  we  are  being  pursued  by  an 
army ;  they  want  to  take  the  Queen  1 ' 

The  King  and  his  army  approached  rapidly,  and  demanded  the 
Queen. 

Then  the  man  of  the  strong  arm  killed  the  King  and  every  one 
of  his  army  with  a  single  blow. 

Then  he  departed  with  the  Queen  and  the  castle  to  the  home  of 
the  young  man  ;  and  as  soon  as  they  got  there  the  hero  married  the 
Queen,  and,  with  her  and  his  mother,  they  lived  very  happily  to  a 
good  old  age. 


THE    SERPENT     PRINCE 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

AN   ITALIAN    FAIRY   TALE 

ONCE,  a  very  long  time  ago,  before  aeroplanes  emulated  eagles  and 
motor  cars  ran  along  swifter  than  the  foxes,  there  lived  on  the  out 
skirts  of  a  great  forest  an  old  couple  who  were  poor  and  childless 
and  lonely. 

Matteo  was  the  name  of  this  worthy  pair,  and  the  old  man  was 
called  Cola  and  his  wife  was  known  as  Sapatella.  Now  Matteo  was 
a  forester,  and,  because  his  duties  kept  him  roaming  from  early 
morn  until  late  in  the  evening  through  the  deep  dark  glades  of  the 
forest,  his  wife,  who  had  to  stay  at  home  and  mind  the  cottage  and 
prepare  the  meals,  and  never  go  out,  not  even  to  see  the  pictures  on 
Saturday  evenings,  was  very  lonely  indeed  and  wished  more  than 
ever  that  she  had  a  son,  so  that  he  could  go  to  the  pictures  and 
tell  her  all  about  them  when  he  came  home. 

But  wishes  do  not  make  horses  or  sons,  nor  even  daughters, 
and  so  this  poor  old  woman  had  to  live  a  very  lonely  life  indeed,, 
which  gave  her  a  great  deal  of  time  to  think  and  to  envy 

The  old  woman  who  lived  in  a  shoe, 

Who  had  so  many  children  she  didn't  know  what  to  do, 

who  lived  about  the  same  time  in  another  part  of  the  country. 

One  evening,  when  the  days  were  growing  short  and  the  nights 
were  correspondingly  long  and  chilly,  Matteo  was  on  his  way  back 
to  the  cottage,  when  he  remembered  that  Sapatella  had  asked  him  to 
bring  home  some  faggots  with  him  to  cook  with  and  to  keep  them 
warm,  because,  of  course,  when  you  are  a  forester  and  live  in  a  forest, 

3' 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

you  cannot  expect  to  have  coal  to  burn  in  your  grates,  like  those  who 
live  in  towns  and  villages. 

There  was  plenty  of  brushwood,  and  heaps  of  twigs  and  fallen 
boughs  lying  about,  and,  as  he  had  his  axe  with  him,  which  all  good 
foresters  carry  to  clear  a  path  for  themselves  through  the  dense 
undergrowths,  it  was  not  long  before  Matteo  had  collected  a  great 
bundle  of  faggots  which  was  just  as  much  as  he  could  carry  on  his 
back. 

But  Matteo  carried  home  with  him  on  his  back  more  than  a 
mere  bundle  of  dry  boughs  and  twigs,  although  he  did  not  know  it. 
Neither  did  Sapatella,  not  until  the  next  morning  after  Matteo  had 
gone  off  to  his  work,  when  she  went  to  the  wood  pile  to  get  some 
sticks  to  put  under  her  pot  to  boil  the  nice  rabbit  which  Matteo  had 
shot  for  her  the  day  before.  She  picked  up  a  bundle  and  was  about 
to  place  it  on  the  fire  when  a  tiny  serpent,  oh,  ever  so  tiny  1  slithered 
and  wriggled  its  way  out  of  the  twigs  and  coiled  itself  up  on  the  rug. 

Being  a  forester's  wife,  Sapatella  was  not  the  least  bit  frightened 
of  serpents  or  mice  or  beetles  or  other  dreadful  beasts ;  besides,  it 
was  such  a  tiny  serpent,  all  yellow  as  can  be ;  and,  when  the  firelight 
danced  on  it,  it  shone  bright  and  gleaming  like  gold. 

'Ah  me,  said  the  good  woman  with  a  sigh,  'even  the  serpents 
have  their  young  ones,  but  I  have  no  one.' 

Then  the  serpent  uncoiled  and  stretched  itself  out  towards  her 
and  spoke.  All  kinds  of  animals  spoke  in  those  days,  as  you  will 
notice  if  you  read  the  story  through,  though  not  so  frequently  but  that 
the  good  woman  was  surprised  and  startled  to  hear  it. 

'  You  may  have  me  for  your  child  if  you  will,'  it  said. 

'  Keep  me  warm  and  feed  me  well, 
And  fortune  will  upon  vou  dwell' 

Sapatella  was,  as  I  have  already  said,  considerably  startled  to 
hear  a  baby  serpent  talk  like  that ;  but  she  was  a  kind-hearted 
woman  and  very,  very  lonely,  and  she  quickly  made  up  her  mind  to 
adopt  the  little  serpent  and  bring  it  up  as  her  own. 

32 


THE   SERPENT   PRINCE 

When    Grannmia   saw    her   strange    lover,    she    alone    re 
mained  calm  and  courageous. 


[See  page  39 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

The  forester,  her  husband,  who  was  also  kind-hearted,  agreed  to 
let  her  have  her  own  way  in  the  matter,  and  so  the  little  serpent 
found  a  home  and  care  and  affection. 

They  kept  him  warm  and  fed  him  well, 
And  fortune  did  upon  them  dwell. 

From  that  time  on,  peace  and  contentment  and  prosperity 
brightened  the  little  cottage.  Everything  went  smoothly  and  com 
fortably,  though  whether  the  little  serpent  had  really  anything  to  do 
with  it  or  not,  I  cannot  say. 

Serpents  grow  up  very  quickly,  and,  what  with  the  warmth  and 
the  good  food  and  the  affection,  the  little  serpent  soon  grew  to  be  a 
big  one,  oh,  monstrous  big !  so  that  when  he  lay  in  front  of  the  fire 
he  took  up  the  whole  of  the  rug,  and  Sapatella  had  to  scold  him  in 
order  to  make  room  so  that  she  could  attend  to  her  cooking. 

One  day  when  she  had  nearly  tripped  over  his  tail  and  fallen 
with  a  pot  of  boiling  water  in  her  hands,  Sapatella  said  to  it :  '  You 
are  grown  too  big  to  be  lying  about  before  the  fire  all  day.  You 
must  get  up  and  do  something.' 

'Very  well,  mother,'  said  the  serpent — it  always  called  her 
mother,  and  Cola  it  called  father,  just  as  a  son  would.  '  Find  me  a 
wife  and  I  will  get  married  and  settle  down.' 

Sapatella  did  not  very  well  know  how  to  set  about  finding  a 
wife  for  a  serpent,  even  an  adopted  one ;  but  she  agreed  to  speak  to 
Matteo  her  husband  about  the  matter  when  he  came  home  that 
night. 

After  supper,  accordingly,  she  put  the  serpent's  request  to  the 
forester. 

'  Our  serpent  wants  to  get  married,  Cola/  she  said ;  '  so  you 
must  find  him  a  wife.' 

'  Very  well,'  said  Matteo.  '  I  will  hunt  through  the  forest  when 
I  am  out,  and  try  and  find  another  serpent  for  him  to  mate  with.' 

'Oh,  that  will  not  do  at  all,'  said  the  serpent,  who  had  been 
listening  very  intently  to  its  adopted  parents'  conversation,  though 
E  33 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

it  seemed  to  be  sleeping  peacefully  all  over  the  floor  in  front  of  the 
fire.  '  I  do  not  mate  with  serpents.  You  must  get  the  King's 
daughter  for  me.  To-morrow  you  must  set  out  to  the  palace,  and 
tell  the  King  that  I  require  his  daughter  in  marriage.' 

Naturally  Matteo  did  not  at  all  care  about  his  errand ;  but  his 
wife  entreated  him  to  go,  and  so  on  the  morrow  the  good  man  set 
forth,  the  serpent  watching  him  depart  from  the  cottage  door,  chant 
ing  all  the  while : 

1  To  the  King  my  message  tell, 
And  fortune  will  upon  you  dwell.' 

Well,  Matteo  walked  along  through  the  forest  on  his  way  to  the 
King's  palace,  and  the  nearer  he  got  to  his  journey's  end  the  more 
difficult  and  dangerous  his  errand  seemed  to  grow.  He  thought 
the  King  would  be  sure  to  be  veiy  angry,  and  he  might  even  order 
him  to  be  hanged  for  a  knave,  or  beaten  off  the  palace  grounds  for 
a  fool. 

But  he  kept  thinking  of  what  the  serpent  had  said,  and,  as  good 
fortune  dwelling  upon  us  is  something  we  all  like  to  have,  the 
forester  kept  on  his  way  and  resolved  faithfully  to  carry  out  his 
errand. 

He  came  at  last  to  the  palace  gates,  and  as,  in  those  days,  in  that 
country,  any  one  who  wanted  to  could  walk  in  and  speak  to  the  King, 
this  simple  old  fellow  passed  in  with  the  crowd  who  were  going  to 
seek  help  or  justice,  and  in  due  time  he  came  before  the  King. 

'  O  great  King  ! '  he  said,  '  a  serpent  who  is  my  adopted  son  has 
sent  me  to  ask  your  daughter's  hand  in  marriage.' 

The  King  stared,  and  then  he  frowned,  and  then  he  stared  again. 
Kings  are  accustomed  to  receiving  strange  requests ;  but  never 
anything  so  strange  as  this. 

Fortunately  for  Cola,  the  King  was  a  good-humoured,  easy-going 
man,  and,  thinking  that  he  had  to  do  with  some  harmless  old 
lunatic,  he  only  laughed,  as  did  all  the  courtiers  and  people  who 
stood  about  him. 

34 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

1  Very  well,'  he  said.  '  I  will  grant  your  request,  only  your 
adopted  son  must  first  of  all  turn  all  the  fruit  in  my  orchard  into 
gold.  Then  will  I  give  him  my  daughter  in  marriage.' 

Matteo  thanked  the  King  for  his  great  clemency  and  kindness  in 
not  having  him  hanged  or  beaten  out  of  the  palace,  and  then  started 
off  home  again. 

'  I  am  well  out  of  that,'  he  thought  to  himself;  '  but  my  adopted 
son  will  have  to  be  contented  with  a  wife  of  less  degree.  Who  ever 
heard  of  turning  apples  and  flowers  and  cherries  into  gold  ?  Why, 
they  can  only  make  copper  and  silver  of  them  in  Covent  Garden.' 

But  the  serpent  didn't  seem  in  the  least  bit  concerned  when  the 
forester  told  him  the  result  of  his  errand. 

'That  is  a  small  matter,'  it  said.  'To-morrow  morning  you 
must  go  into  the  city  with  a  basket,  and  gather  up  all  the  fruit- 
stones  you  can  find,  and  take  them  and  scatter  them  in  the  orchard. 

'  Do  this  thing  and  do  it  well, 
And  fortune  will  upon  you  dwell.' 

So  Matteo  went  once  more  to  the  town  and  did  exactly  as  the 
serpent  had  told  him.  Not  knowing  anything  of  magic,  he  did  not 
in  the  least  expect  anything  to  happen ;  so  you  may  imagine  his 
surprise  when  not  only  the  fruit,  but  every  tree  and  leaf  and  bough 
in  the  whole  orchard,  turned  into  solid  gold,  and  glittered  so  in  the 
sunlight  that  one  could  scarcely  bear  to  look  at  them. 

It  chanced  that  the  King  was  walking  on  the  terrace  with  his 
courtiers  when  Matteo  entered  the  orchard. 

'  There  is  that  silly  old  man  come  back  again  who  wants  me  to 
wed  my  daughter  to  a  serpent,'  he  said.  '  Is  he  going  to  turn  my 
fruit  into  gold  by  stealing  it  and  selling  it  in  the  market-place?' 

The  courtiers  laughed  at  this  excellent  jest,  as  courtiers  will; 
but  the  next  moment  they  stopped  laughing,  and  each  one  rubbed 
his  eyes  and  ejaculated  in  astonishment  and  delight  at  the  marvellous 
beauty  and  value  of  the  King's  orchards. 

The  King  himself  could  say  nothing,  and  he  said  nothing,  until 

35 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

Matteo  came  before  him  and  humbly  begged  his  Majesty  to  fulfil  his 
promise  now  that  the  serpent,  his  adopted  son,  had  done  the  task 
assigned  to  him. 

The  King  was  in  a  quandary.  He  was  not  greedy  or  avaricious  ; 
but  to  have  a  serpent  for  a  son-in-law  was,  for  a  king,  clearly 
impossible. 

'  Softly,'  he  said.  '  You  have  fulfilled  your  task,  it  is  true  ;  but 
so  fair  an  orchard  requires  a  better  setting.  Golden  trees  should  not 
grow  out  of  common  ground  and  be  enclosed  by  common  walls.  Let 
your  adopted  son  first  turn  all  the  ground  and  the  walls  into 
diamonds  and  rubies  and  precious  stones,  so  that  I  may  have 
orchards  whereof  the  like  is  not  known  in  all  the  world,  and  then 
will  I  give  him  my  daughter  to  wife.' 

The  forester  again  thanked  his  Majesty  for  his  great  con 
descension  and  retired,  while  the  King  and  his  courtiers  went  into 
the  orchard  and  picked  golden  apples  and  plums  and  peaches  from 
golden  boughs,  and  marvelled  at  the  wonderful  thing  that  had  been 
done  before  their  eyes. 

It  was  in  the  King's  mind  that  this  could  be  no  common  or 
forest  serpent,  and  he  was  troubled  to  think  what  his  position  would 
be  if  the  second  task  was  performed  as  readily  and  thoroughly  as  the 
first  had  been. 

When  Matteo  reached  home  and  told  the  serpent  what  had 
befallen  him,  the  serpent  shook  his  tail  and  seemed  about  to  fly  into 
a  passion. 

'You  see  how  well  kings  keep  their  word,'  it  said  angrily.  '  But 
it  is  a  small  matter  after  all.  Do  you  go  again  to  the  town  on  the 
morrow,  and  gather  all  the  broken  bits  of  china  and  glass  you  can 
find.  These  you  must  take  in  a  basket,  and  lay  a  piece  on  each  wall 
and  between  each  tree  and  bush. 

'  Do  this  thing  and  do  it  well, 
And  fortune  will  upon  you  dwell' 

So  Matteo  set  out  at  daybreak,  and  did  exactly  as  the  serpent 

36 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

had  told  him.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  plenty  of  material  for 
his  purpose,  and  it  was  still  early  when  he  reached  the  orchard  with 
a  heavy  load  of  broken  tea-cups  and  plates  and  oddments  of  basins 
and  teapots  and  water-jugs. 

Early  as  it  was,  it  was  not  too  early  for  the  King  to  be 
present.  The  wonder  of  this  new  possession  had  kept  his  Majesty 
awake  nearly  all  night,  and  he  was  impatient  until  he  could  get 
into  the  orchard  and  satisfy  himself  that  it  was  all  really  and 
actually  true. 

When  he  saw  Matteo  approach  and  lay  down  his  fragments  of 
china,  he  grew  thoughtful,  for  he  realised  that  it  was  all  true  enough, 
and  that  the  second  condition  would  be  likely  to  be  performed.  But 
he  said  nothing,  and  Matteo  walked  from  tree  to  tree,  dropping  here  a 
piece  of  cup,  there  a  fragment  of  plate  ;  and,  wherever  the  china  fell, 
the  ground  between  the  trees  turned  to  diamond  or  sapphire  or  ruby. 
With  the  walls  it  was  just  the  same.  Every  kind  of  precious  stone 
known  and  unknown  was  to  be  found  in  that  wonderful  orchard, 
even  to  a  carbuncle  which  grew  on  a  courtier's  toe  in  consequence  of 
his  incautious  action  in  putting  his  foot  just  where  Matteo  was 
dropping  a  tiny  bit  of  china. 

The  King  was  delighted  and  depressed  at  the  same  time.  He 
had  got  orchards  surpassing  in  beauty  and  value  anything  that  was 
known  to  be  in  the  whole  world  ;  also  he  had  to  give  his  daughter  in 
marriage  to  a  serpent,  and  the  last  seemed  to  the  poor  King  of 
greater  consideration  than  the  former. 

'Tell  the  serpent,  your  adopted  son,  that,  although  he  has 
accomplished  the  task  I  set  him,  yet  will  I  not  give  him  my 
daughter  to  wed  unless  he  also  turns  my  palace  into  gold,'  he  said 
to  Matteo,  and  again  the  forester  thanked  the  King  for  his  great 
clemency  and  condescension,  and  returned  to  his  home. 

Again  the  serpent  grew  angry  and  said  shrewd  things  con 
cerning  the  value  of  the  word  of  kings,  and  the  trust  which  is  not 
to  be  found  in  princes — not  even  German  princes. 

1  But,'  said  he,  '  it  is  a  small  matter.  Do  you  go  at  daybreak 

37 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

and  gather  in  the  forest  herbs  of  this  kind  and  that,  and  make  them 
into  a  broom,  and  sweep  therewith  the  whole  length  of  the  palace 
walls,  and  so  shall  it  be  even  as  the  King  wishes. 

'  Go  do  this  thing  and  do  it  well, 
And  fortune  shall  upon  you  dwell? 

So  Matteo  went  into  the  forest  and  gathered  herbs  of  this  kind 
and  that,  and  swept  the  palace  well  round  as  the  serpent  had  directed, 
and  when  the  King  and  his  courtiers  and  the  servants — even  down  to 
the  scullery  wench — arose,  the  whole  palace  was  golden  from  the  front 
step  of  the  main  entrance  to  the  topmost  ridge  of  the  chimney.  And 
it  was  not  gold  plate  either :  it  was  all  solid  gold  of  the  purest  kind. 

This  time  the  King  saw  that  there  was  no  way  of  escape  when 
Matteo  asked  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  royal  promise,  so  he  called  his 
daughter  to  him  and  told  her  of  the  matter. 

1  My  dear  Grannmia,'  he  said,  for  that  was  her  name,  '  for  your 
sake  I  have  twice  broken  my  royal  pledge,  and  now  I  greatly  fear 
you  must  keep  it.  It  is  a  small  matter — just  to  marry  a  serpent,  the 
adopted  son  of  a  poor  forester.' 

The  Princess,  who  was  very  young  and  very  dutiful,  and 
surpassingly  fair  to  look  upon,  agreed  cheerfully,  as  though  marrying 
serpents  was  quite  an  ordinary  everyday  duty  like  laying  foundation 
stones  and  receiving  bouquets. 

So  the  King  told  Matteo  to  send  the  serpent  along  and  marry 
his  daughter,  and  for  goodness'  sake  not  to  bother  him  any  further 
with  golden  palaces,  and  jewelled  orchards,  and  carbuncles  on  his 
favourite  courtier's  big  toe. 

When  the  serpent  heard  this  from  Matteo,  it  seemed  beside  itself 
with  joy,  and  there  and  then  set  off  for  the  palace.  But  before  it  left 
the  humble  cottage  in  which  it  had  received  so  much  care  and  affec 
tion,  it  bade  farewell  to  Sapatella  and  Matteo,  and  thanked  them  very 
heartily  for  all  their  goodness,  finishing  up  with  these  words : 

'  Now  my  task  you  have  done  full  well, 
Good  fortune  shall  upon  you  dwell. ' 
38 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

And  it  did  ;  for,  from  that  time  till  the  day  they  died,  both 
Sapatella  and  Matteo  were  happy  and  contented  and  prosperous,  and 
never  ailed  or  suffered  pain  or  disappointment. 

When  Grannmia  saw  her  strange  lover,  she  alone  remained  calm 
and  courageous — the  only  one  in  the  palace  who  did.  All  the 
servants  ran  shrieking  when  they  saw  the  great  golden  monster 
entering  the  doors,  and,  when  it  got  to  the  presence-chamber,  the 
King  and  Queen  fled  in  one  direction  and  the  courtiers  in  another. 
Only  the  Princess  remained,  trembling  with  astonishment,  and 
awaited  the  pleasure  of  the  serpent. 

Slowly  it  came  gliding  towards  her,  and  then,  when  it  was 
almost  near  enough  for  her  to  touch  it,  it  reared  up — the  golden  skin 
fell  apart,  and  a  young  and  most  handsome  Prince  stood  bowing 
before  her. 

Now,  of  course,  everything  would  have  been  happy  and  joyous  if 
it  had  not  been  for  the  silly  old  King,  who,  partly  out  of  anxiety  for 
his  daughter,  but  chiefly  from  curiosity,  stole  back  and  peeped  into 
the  room  just  as  the  Prince  emerged  from  the  golden  skin  which  had 
disguised  him  as  a  serpent. 

He  did  just  what  you  should  never  do  with  disenchanted  princes  : 
rushed  forward  and  threw  the  discarded  skin  into  the  fire,  where  it 
flashed  and  burned  like  a  resinous  torch. 

At  the  sound  of  the  crackling  the  Prince  turned,  and,  when  he 
saw  what  had  happened,  he  was  furiously  angry,  more  angry,  in  fact, 
than  he  had  been  when,  as  a  serpent,  he  had  reflected  on  the  un 
reliability  of  the  promises  of  kings.  Then,  with  a  sad  look  at  the 
Princess,  he  turned  to  the  King  and  said  : 

4  This  act  of  yours  renews  the  spell, 
May  fortune  never  with  you  dwell! 

And,  turning  himself  into  a  dove,  he  circled  three  times  round 
the  Princess  and  then  flew  through  the  window.  At  least,  he  would 
have  flown  through  the  window,  only  it  did  not  happen  to  be  open. 
In  consequence  he  broke  the  pane  and  very  nearly  his  own  head  ;  but 

39 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

he  got  out,  and  flew  straight  away  over  the  golden  orchard,  while 
the  Princess,  who  had  rushed  to  the  window,  stood  gazing  after  him 
until  he  could  no  longer  be  seen.  Then  she  turned  and  gave  the 
unhappy  King  her  views  of  his  meddlesome  prying.  Then  she  burst 
into  tears  and  cried  until  the  sun  went  down,  so  that  the  tears 
formed  a  stream  and  ran  down  into  the  fountain-court,  and  all 
the  poor  little  goldfish  died  because  of  too  much  salt  in  their  fresh 
water. 

But  crying  does  not  help  any  one,  so,  after  all  the  palace  servants 
had  gone  to  bed,  she  gathered  up  all  her  treasures  and  set  out  to  find 
her  elusive  husband,  who  had  come  to  her  as  a  serpent  with  a  wriggly 
tail,  and  flown  away  as  a  dove  with  a  bit  of  a  broken  window-pane  in 
his  head. 

When  she  got  out  of  the  palace  grounds  into  the  woods  behind, 
she  met  a  fox  who  was  also  looking  for  a  dove,  or  a  fowl,  or  any 
other  winged  thing. 

The  fox  said,  'Good  evening,  pretty  Princess.  May  I  travel 
with  you  for  company  ? ' 

'  Yes,  do,'  said  the  Princess.  '  I  am  not  used  to  the  woods  at 
night,  and  I  may  not  be  able  to  find  my  way.' 

So  the  fox  led  her  through  the  wood  and  far  away  from  the 
palace  until  they  had  gone  miles  and  miles,  and  the  Princess  was  so 
tired  that  she  would  not  go  another  step,  not  even  to  find  a  dove 
with  a  bandaged  head.  So  they  both  lay  down  and  went  to  sleep. 

It  was  late  in  the  morning  when  she  awoke  and  heard  the  birds 
singing  all  around  her. 

Their  song  pleased  her  very  much,  and  the  fox,  noticing  this, 
remarked  :  '  Ah,  if  you  could  only  understand  what  they  are  saying 
you  would  be  much  more  pleased.' 

'  Oh,  do  tell  me,  dear  fox,'  pleaded  the  Princess ;  and,  after  he 
had  made  her  ask  him  a  sufficient  number  of  times,  the  fox  replied  : 

'  Well,  they  are  saying  that  the  King's  son,  who  was  turned  into 
a  serpent  by  his  godmother  to  spite  his  father,  has  met  with  an 
accident  that  now  threatens  his  life.  The  spell  lasted  for  seven 

40 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

years,  and,  on  the  very  day  it  ended,  he  was  about  to  marry  the 
daughter  of  another  king,  when  her  father  rashly  burnt  the  skin  and 
thus  caused  him  to  be  turned  into  a  dove.  In  flying  from  the  palace 
he  has  cut  his  head  against  a  window-pane,  and  is  now  at  his  father's 
palace  lying  so  sadly  hurt  that  none  of  the  doctors  can  do  anything 
for  him.' 

The  Princess  was  greatly  concerned  at  hearing  this  story. 

'  But  listen,  dear  fox,  and  hear  if  the  birds  say  whether  there  is 
any  way  of  curing  this  poor  Prince/  she  said. 

So  the  fox  listened  intently,  and  by  and  by  he  said  to  the 
Princess  :  '  The  blackbirds  are  saying  there  is  no  way,  but  the  wrens 
say  there  is  one.  Whoever  would  cure  the  Prince  must  obtain  the 
blood  from  these  very  birds  and  pour  it  on  the  head  of  the  Prince, 
when  he  will  immediately  recover  and  be  as  well  as  he  ever  was.' 

The  Princess  began  to  grow  hopeful,  and  begged  of  the  fox  to 
catch  the  birds  for  her  so  that  she  might  obtain  the  remedy  and 
restore  the  Prince  to  health.  She  added  a  promise  of  reward  for  his 
assistance,  and  the  fox  agreed  to  help  her. 

So  they  waited  under  the  trees  until  the  sun  had  gone  in  and 
the  birds  were  all  asleep  in  their  nests,  and  then  the  fox  climbed 
stealthily  into  the  trees  and  gathered  the  birds  one  after  the  other, 
just  like  a  naughty  schoolboy  stealing  apples  from  a  farmer's  orchard. 

Having  obtained  what  she  required,  the  Princess  set  forth 
eagerly  to  carry  the  remedy  to  the  Prince's  palace. 

But  the  fox,  who  had  taken  care  to  keep  well  out  of  her  reach, 
suddenly  sat  down  and  began  to  laugh. 

'  Why  do  you  laugh,  dear  fox  ? '  asked  the  Princess.  '  Is  it  that 
you  are  overjoyed  to  think  that  the  Prince  who  is  to  be  my  husband 
will  soon  be  restored  to  health  ?  But  let  us  hurry :  we  may  be  too 
late  I ' 

4  No,  it  is  not  that,'  said  the  fox,  laughing  again.     '  It  is  to  think 
that  your  remedy  will  be  of  no  avail  without  the  other  ingredient, 
which  is  the  blood  of  a  fox,  and  as  I  am  not  minded  to  supply  it,  I 
will  skip  the  reward  you  promised  and  be  off.' 
F  41 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

Thereupon  he  started  away,  pelting  as  hard  as  he  could  go. 

The  Princess  saw  that  her  only  hope  was  to  outwit  the  fox,  and 
she  immediately  thought  of  a  plan  to  gain  her  end. 

'  Dear  fox,  do  not  run,'  she  said  ;  '  that  would  be  a  pity  now  that 
the  remedy  is  in  our  own  hands.  The  King  is  certain  to  reward  us 
lavishly,  and  surely  there  are  plenty  of  other  foxes  among  whom  we 
can  find  one  willing  to  spare  his  blood  to  save  the  King's  son.  Let 
us  go  on,  then,  and  trust  to  our  fortune.' 

The  fox,  proud  of  the  fact  of  being  the  most  artful  animal  alive, 
never  thought  for  one  moment  that  he  could  be  exceeded  in  cunning 
by  a  simple  maiden,  so  he  came  back  to  the  Princess,  and  together 
they  walked  through  the  forest  to  the  far  end  where  the  palace  of 
the  King  showed  in  the  near  distance. 

'  That  is  the  place,'  said  the  fox ;  '  but  we  haven't  got  the  other 
ingredient ! ' 

'  Oh  yes,  we  have,'  said  the  Princess,  and,  before  the  fox  could 
be  any  more  artful,  she  hit  him  on  the  head  with  a  stout  branch  she 
had  picked  up,  and  with  such  force  that  he  did  not  in  the  least  object 
to  the  necessary  addition  to  the  Prince's  medicine  being  drawn  from 
his  own  veins. 

Of  course  the  Princess  was  sorry  to  have  to  do  this.  The  fox 
had  helped  her  a  great  deal ;  and  besides,  she  was  a  tender-hearted 
little  thing,  and  she  wept  like  anything  all  the  while  she  was  com 
pounding  the  remedy ;  but  princes  are  of  more  importance  than 
foxes,  particularly  when  they  are  handsome  princes  who  have  been 
serpents  and  are  wanted  to  make  handsome  husbands. 

So  the  Princess  took  the  phial  containing  the  very  strange  cure 
for  wounded  heads,  and  proceeded  straight  to  the  King's  palace. 

They  were  all  so  disturbed,  with  the  servants  running  about 
distractedly,  and  the  doctors  quarrelling  with  each  other,  and  the 
courtiers  standing  about  trying  not  to  look  bored,  that  no  one  took 
the  least  notice  of  the  Princess ;  but  she  was  a  pushing  young  lady, 
and  seeing  the  palace  doors  all  open,  she  made  her  way  from  room 
to  room  until  at  last  she  found  the  King  himself. 

42 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

'  And  it  please  your  Majesty,'  she  said,  dropping  him  a  curtsy, 
'  I  have  come  to  save  the  Prince." 

'  But  how  can  you  save  the  Prince  when  all  the  great  doctors  in 
my  kingdom  cannot  ? '  demanded  the  King. 

'  The  birds  told  me, 
The  fox  helped  me, 
And  I  can  save  your  son. 
But,  if  I  do,  I  ask  of  you 
To  marry  me  to  him  when  I've  done' 

chanted  the  Princess. 

The  King  was  so  overcome  with  grief  and  anxiety  that  he  was 
ready  to  promise  anything  to  anybody  who  could  help  him,  so  he 
gave  the  Princess  the  required  promise,  and,  without  more  ado,  she 
caused  herself  to  be  led  into  the  chamber  of  the  Prince,  and  poured 
the  contents  of  the  phial  over  his  wound. 

The  Prince,  who  had  been  so  nearly  at  the  point  of  death  that 
no  one  would  have  believed  to  see  him  that  there  was  any  life  in  him 
at  all,  immediately  sat  up,  recovered  and  well. 

He  did  not  recognise  the  Princess,  and  when  the  King,  his 
father,  told  him  the  terms  on  which  she  had  saved  his  life,  and 
presented  the  maiden  to  him,  he  refused. 

'  For  the  great  service  you  have  rendered  me  I  am  grateful 
indeed,'  he  said  ;  '  but  I  cannot  marry  you.  My  heart  is  already 
given  to  another,  and  not  even  for  my  life  will  I  be  false  to  my 
word.' 

When  she  heard  this  the  Princess  was  secretly  overjoyed ;  but 
she  pretended  to  be  greatly  displeased,  and  she  disdainfully  rejected 
all  other  offers  of  reward  that  were  made  to  her  by  the  King  and  the 
Prince. 

'  Tell  me  who  this  other  is,  and  I  will  go  to  her  and  get  her  to 
relinquish  you  in  my  favour,'  she  said  at  length.  '  When  she  learns 
what  I  have  done  for  you,  I  am  sure  she  will  agree  that  my  claim  is 
greater  than  hers.' 

'  It  is  the  Princess  Grannmia ;  but  that  I  am  sure  she  will  never 

43 


THE  SERPENT  PRINCE 

do/  said  the  Prince  proudly.  '  Even  if  she  would,  I  will  not. 
What  is  life  without  love?  and  I  would  rather  be  a  serpent  again, 
and  live  in  the  cottage  of  a  poor  forester  all  my  days,  than  rule  this 
kingdom  without  my  beloved  Princess.' 

On  hearing  this  the  Princess  could  no  longer  keep  her  secret. 

1  You  must  love  me  indeed,  dear  Prince,'  she  said,  '  if  you  do  not 
recognise  me  when  I  come  pleading  to  you  to  carry  out  your  promise 
after  saving  your  life,  and  marry  me  as  you  would  have  done  when 
the  King,  my  father,  drove  you  away  from  me.' 

Then  the  Prince  recognised  her,  and  he  embraced  her  so  heartily 
that  the  Princess  wondered  whether  he  was  still  a  serpent  or  only 
just  a  strong  young  man  who  was  very  much  in  love  with  her,  while 
the  King  went  out  and  gave  immediate  orders  to  set  the  bells 
a-ringing,  and  have  preparations  made  on  the  most  lavish  scale  for 
the  wedding  feast. 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

A   FRENCH    FAIRY   TALE 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  King  and  a  Queen  whose  marriage 
was  as  happy  as  happy  could  be ;  they  loved  each  other  tenderly, 
and,  in  turn,  their  subjects  loved  them  ;  but  one  thing  clouded  their 
life :  and  that  was  that  they  had  no  children,  no  heir.  The  Queen 
thought  that  the  King  would  love  her  much  more  if  she  had  a  child. 
So  she  made  up  her  mind  to  drink  of  the  water  of  a  certain  spring. 
People  came  there  in  thousands  from  afar  to  drink  of  this  special 
kind  of  water ;  and  one  saw  so  many  that  it  looked  as  though  all  the 
world  and  his  wife  were  there. 

Now  there  were  many,  many  lovely  fountains  in  the  wood 
where  the  Queen  and  other  people  went  to  drink  at  the  spring ;  so 
the  Queen  asked  her  ladies  to  lead  the  others  away  to  these  fountains 
to  amuse  themselves,  and  leave  her  alone.  Then,  when  they  had  all 
withdrawn,  she  bewailed  in  a  plaintive  voice. 

'Am  I  not  unhappy,'  she  said,  '  to  have  no  children  I  The  poor 
women,  who  can  badly  afford  them,  have  plenty ;  but  here  it  is  now 
five  years  that  I  have  begged  heaven  to  give  me  one.  Oh  1  am  I 
to  die  without  ever  having  a  little  child  ?  Never  I  Never  I  Nev ' 

She  broke  off  suddenly,  for  she  saw  that  the  water  of  the  fountain 
was  troubled.  Then  a  big  Crayfish  came  up  and  climbed  on  to  the 
bank  and  spoke  to  her : 

'  Great  Queen,  you  shall  have  your  desire.  Near  here  is  the 
grand  palace  which  the  fairies  built,  but  it  is  impossible  for  you  to 
find  it,  because  it  is  surrounded  by  strong  fairy  barricades,  through 
which  no  mortal  eye  could  ever  see,  nor  mortal  footstep  pass  without 

45 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

a  guide.  But  I  am  your  humble  servant,  and,  if  you  will  trust  your 
self  to  me,  I  will  take  you  there.' 

The  Queen  listened  without  interrupting,  for  hearing  a  big 
Crayfish  talk — and  talk  so  nicely  too — was  a  great  surprise  to  her. 
But  there  was  a  still  greater  surprise  in  store.  The  Crayfish  waved 
its  feelers  in  the  air,  and,  before  she  could  count  three,  it  had  taken 
the  form  of  a  beautiful  little  old  woman,  with  pretty  snow-white  hair 
and  a  dainty  shepherdess  costume.  She  bowed  low,  and  then  spoke. 

'  Well,  madam,'  said  she,  '  always  look  upon  me  as  one  of  your 
friends,  for  I  wish  nothing  but  what  would  be  for  your  good.' 

She  was  so  sweet  and  charming  that  the  Queen  kissed  her,  and 
then  by  common  consent  they  went  off  hand  in  hand  through  the 
wood  by  a  way  which  surprised  the  Queen. 

It  was  the  way  by  which  the  fairies  came  from  the  palace  to  the 
fountains.  As  they  went  the  Queen  paused  to  look  at  a  strange  thing 
which  made  her  heart  beat  very  fast.  At  a  certain  spot  the  bushes 
overhead  were  full  of  roses  and  orange  blossoms,  entwined  and  laced 
in  such  a  way  as  to  form  a  cradle  covered  with  leaves.  The  earth 
beneath  was  a  carpet  of  violets,  and,  in  the  giant  cedars  above, 
thousands  of  little  birds,  each  one  a  different  colour,  sang  their 
songs ;  and  the  meaning  of  their  melody  was  this :  that  cradle, 
woven  by  fairy  fingers,  was  not  there  for  nothing. 

The  Queen  had  not  got  over  this  surprise  before  she  saw  in  the 
distance  a  castle  that  dazzled  her  vision,  so  splendid  did  it  shine. 
To  tell  the  truth,  the  walls  and  the  ceilings  were  of  nothing  but 
diamonds,  and  all  the  benches — even  the  balcony  and  terraces — all 
were  pure  diamonds  scintillating  with  flashes  beyond  the  strength 
of  human  eyes  to  bear.  The  Queen  gave  a  great  cry  of  joy  as  she 
covered  her  eyes  with  her  hand.  Then,  as  they  came  to  the  gate  of 
the  castle,  she  asked  the  little  old  woman  if  what  she  saw  were  real, 
or  if  she  were  dreaming  ? 

'  Nothing  is  more  real,  madam,'  the  fairy  replied.  And  at  that 
moment  the  door  of  the  castle  opened  and  six  other  fairies  came  out. 
But  what  fairies  1  They  were  the  most  beautiful  ever  seen.  They 

46 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

all  made  a  low  bow  to  the  Queen,  and  each  one  presented  her  with  a 
branch  flowering  with  petals  of  precious  stones,  to  make  herself  a 
bouquet.  One  bore  roses,  another  tulips,  another  rare  wild-flowers, 
and  the  rest  budded  with  carnations  and  pomegranates. 

'  Madam/  they  said,  '  we  could  not  give  you  a  greater  mark  of 
our  friendship  for  you,  than  to  invite  you  here.  We  are  pleased  to 
be  able  to  tell  you  that  you  shall  have  a  lovely  little  Princess  whom 
you  shall  call  Ddsirde.  Be  sure  not  to  forget  that,  when  she  is  born, 
you  summon  us,  because  we  wish  to  endow  her  with  all  the  good 
qualities  possible.  All  you  will  have  to  do  is  to  take  the  branches  of 
the  bouquet,  and,  in  naming  each  flower,  think  of  the  fairy  of  that 
name ;  rest  assured  that  we  shall  be  in  your  room  immediately.' 

The  Queen,  full  of  joy,  threw  her  arms  around  each  one's  neck 
in  turn,  and  kissed  them  all,  over  and  over  again,  for  half  an  hour. 
After  that  they  begged  the  Queen  to  go  through  their  palace,  and  the 
diamonds  were  so  bright  that  the  Queen  could  not  keep  her  eyes 
open.  Then  they  took  her  through  their  garden.  Never  was  there 
such  lovely  fruit ;  the  apricots  were  larger  than  her  head,  and  she 
could  only  eat  a  quarter  of  one,  and  the  taste  was  so  lovely  that 
the  Queen  resolved  never  to  eat  anything  else  as  long  as  she  lived. 
She  remained  in  the  palace  until  the  evening,  and  then,  having 
thanked  the  fairies  for  all  they  had  done  for  her,  she  returned  with 
the  Fairy  of  the  Fountain. 

Now,  when  the  Queen  went  home,  she  found  that  they  were  all 
very  upset,  and  had  been  searching  for  her,  and  could  not  think  where 
she  had  gone.  Some  had  thought  that,  as  she  was  so  beautiful  and 
young,  some  stranger  had  taken  her  away :  which  was  reasonable,  for 
she  spoke  so  nicely  to  every  one.  But  now  at  last  they  had  found 
her,  and  the  King  was  himself  again. 

The  Queen  soon  found  that  what  the  fairies  had  said  was  true. 
On  a  certain  day  she  had  a  little  daughter,  and  she  called  her  Ddsirde. 
Then,  remembering  their  words,  she  at  once  took  the  bouquet  and 
named  each  flower  and  thought  of  the  fairies  one  after  the  other,  and 
lo  I  immediately  they  were  all  there.  Their  arms  were  crammed  full 

47 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

of  presents.  And,  after  they  had  kissed  the  Queen  and  the  little 
Princess,  they  began  to  distribute  the  presents.  There  was  beautiful 
lace  with  the  history  of  the  world  worked  into  it ;  then  came  a  lovely 
cover  all  marked  in  gold  representing  all  the  toys  that  children  play 
with.  The  cot  was  then  shown,  and  the  Queen  went  into  raptures 
over  it :  it  surely  was  the  nicest  ever  made ;  it  was  of  beautiful,  rare 
wood,  with  a  canopy  of  blue  silk,  inwrought  with  diamonds  and 
rubies. 

Then  the  fairies  took  the  little  Princess  on  their  knees,  and 
kissed  her  and  hugged  her  because  she  was  so  good  and  beautiful. 
Each  fairy  wished  her  a  good  quality.  One  wished  her  to  be  wise ; 
another  wished  that  she  might  be  good ;  another  wished  her  to  be 
virtuous  ;  another  to  be  beautiful ;  another  to  possess  a  good  fortune ; 
and  the  fifth  asked  for  her  a  long  life  and  good  health.  Then  came 
the  last,  and  she  wished  that  Ddsirde  might  obtain  all  that  she 
herself  could  ever  wish  for. 

The  Queen  thanked  them  a  hundred  times  for  all  the  good 
things  they  had  given  her  little  daughter,  and,  while  she  was  doing 
so,  all  gave  a  sudden  start,  for  the  door  opened  and  a  tremendous 
Crayfish — so  large  that  it  could  hardly  get  through  the  door — came 
in,  waving  its  feelers  in  the  air. 

'  O  ungrateful  Queen ! '  said  the  Crayfish,  '  you  did  not  trouble 
to  ask  me  here.  Is  it  possible  that  you  have  so  soon  forgotten  the 
Fairy  of  the  Fountain  and  the  good  services  I  did  in  taking  you  to 
my  sisters.  Why,  you  have  invited  all  of  them,  and  I  am  the  only 
one  forgotten.' 

The  Queen  was  terribly  upset  at  her  error,  and  begged  the  Fairy 
to  forgive  her.  She  hastened  to  assure  her  that  she  had  not  for  a 
moment  forgotten  her  great  obligation  to  her ;  and  she  begged  her 
not  to  go  back  on  her  friendship,  and  particularly  to  be  good  to  the 
little  Princess. 

The  others  thought  that  the  Fairy  of  the  Fountain  would  wish 
evil  to  the  baby  Princess,  so  they  said  to  her :  '  Dear  sister,  do  not 
be  cross  with  the  Queen ;  she  is  good  and  never  would  offend  you.' 

48 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

Now,  as  the  Fairy  of  the  Fountain  liked  to  be  spoken  to  nicely, 
this  softened  her  a  little,  and  she  said  : 

'  Very  well,  I  will  not  wish  her  all  the  harm  I  was  going  to ;  I 
will  lessen  it  a  little.  But  take  care  that  she  never  sees  the  light  of 
day  until  she  is  fifteen,  or  she  and  you  will  have  reason  to  regret  it. 
That  is  all  I  have  to  say.'  Then,  suddenly  changing  into  the  little 
old  woman  with  the  white  hair  and  shepherdess  dress,  she  pirouetted 
through  the  wall,  staff  in  hand.  And  the  cries  of  the  Queen  and  the 
prayers  of  the  good  fairies  did  not  matter  a  bit. 

The  Queen  begged  the  other  fairies  to  avert  the  terrible  cata 
strophe,  and  besought  them  to  tell  her  what  to  do.  They  consulted 
together,  and  at  last  told  the  Queen  that  they  would  build  a  palace 
without  any  windows  or  doors,  and  with  an  underground  passage, 
so  that  the  Princess's  food  could  be  brought  to  her.  And  she  was  to 
be  kept  there  until  she  was  fifteen. 

Then,  with  a  wave  of  their  wands,  they  made  a  lovely,  pure- 
white  marble  castle  spring  up,  and,  inside  of  this,  all  the  chairs  were 
made  of  jewels,  and  even  the  floors  were  no  different.  And  here 
the  little  Princess  dwelt  and  grew  up  a  good  and  beautiful  child, 
possessing  all  the  good  qualities  that  her  fairy  godmothers  had 
wished  for  her ;  and  from  time  to  time  they  came  to  see  how  she  was 
getting  on.  But,  of  all  the  fairy  godmothers,  Tulip  was  the  favourite. 
She  reminded  the  Queen  never  to  forget  the  warning  not  to  allow  the 
Princess  to  see  the  light  of  day,  lest  the  terrible  fate  that  the  Fairy  of 
the  Fountain  had  laid  upon  her  would  surely  come  to  pass.  The 
Queen,  of  course,  promised  never  to  forget  so  important  a  matter. 

Now,  just  as  her  little  daughter  was  nearing  the  age  of  fifteen, 
the  Queen  had  her  portrait  taken  and  sent  to  all  the  great  courts  of 
the  world.  And  so  it  happened  that  one  Prince,  when  he  saw  it,  took 
it  and  shut  it  up  in  his  cabinet  and  talked  to  the  portrait  as  though 
it  was  the  Princess  herself  in  the  flesh. 

The  courtiers  heard  him  and  went  and  told  his  father  that  his 
son  had  gone  mad,  and  that  he  was  shut  up  in  his  room,  talking  all 
day  long  to  something  or  somebody  who  wasn't  there. 
G  49 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

The  King  immediately  sent  for  his  son  and  told  him  what  the 
courtiers  had  said  about  him  ;  then  he  asked  him  if  it  was  true,  and 
what  had  come  over  him  to  act  like  this. 

The  Prince  thought  this  a  favourable  opportunity,  so  he  threw 
himself  at  the  feet  of  the  King  and  said  : 

'  You  have  resolved,  sire,  to  marry  me  to  the  Black  Princess,  but 
I  love  the  Princess  Ddsiree.' 

'  You  have  not  seen  her,'  said  the  King.  '  How  can  you  love 
her?' 

'  Neither  have  I  seen  the  Black  Princess,  but  I  have  both  their 
portraits,'  replied  the  Warrior  Prince  (he  was  so  named  because  he 
had  won  three  great  battles),  '  but  I  assure  you  that  I  have  such  a 
love  for  the  Princess  De'sire'e,  that  if  you  do  not  withdraw  your  word 
to  the  Black  Princess  and  allow  me  to  have  D6siree,  I  shall  die,  and 
I  shall  be  very  glad  to  do  so  if  I  am  unable  to  have  the  Princess  I  love.' 

'  It  is  to  her  portrait,  then,  that  you  have  been  speaking  ? '  said 
the  King.  '  My  son,  you  have  made  yourself  the  laughing-stock  of 
the  whole  court.  They  think  you  are  mad.' 

'  You  would  be  as  much  struck  as  I  am  if  you  saw  her  portrait,' 
replied  the  Prince  firmly. 

'  Fetch  it  and  show  it  to  me,  then,'  said  the  King,  equally  firmly. 

The  Prince  went,  and  returned  with  the  Princess's  portrait  as 
requested  ;  and  the  King  was  so  struck  with  her  beauty  that  he  gave 
the  Prince  leave  there  and  then  to  marry  her,  and  promised  to  with 
draw  his  word  from  the  other  Princess. 

'  My  dear  Warrior,'  said  he,  '  I  should  love  to  have  so  beautiful 
a  Princess  in  my  court.' 

The  Prince  kissed  his  father's  hand  and  bowed  his  knee,  for  he 
could  not  conceal  his  joy.  He  begged  the  King  to  send  a  messenger 
not  only  to  the  Black  Princess  but  also  to  Princess  Desiree  ;  and  he 
hoped  that  in  regard  to  his  own  Princess,  he  would  choose  a  man 
who  would  prove  the  most  capable ;  and  he  must  be  rich,  because 
this  was  a  special  occasion  and  called  for  all  the  elaborate  preparation 
it  was  possible  to  show  in  such  a  diplomatic  mission. 

50 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

The  King's  choice  fell  on  Prince  Becafigue ;  he  was  a  young 
Prince  who  spoke  eloquently,  and  he  possessed  five  millions  of 
money.  And,  beside  this,  he  loved  the  Warrior  Prince  very  dearly. 

When  the  messenger  was  taking  his  leave  the  Prince  said  to  him  : 

'  Do  not  forget,  my  dear  Becafigue,  that  my  life  depends  on  my 
marrying  Princess  Desirde,  whom  you  are  going  to  see.  Do  your 
best  for  me  and  tell  the  Princess  that  I  love  her.'  Then  he  handed 
Becafigue  his  photograph  to  give  the  Princess. 

The  young  Prince  Becafigue's  cortege  was  so  grand,  and  con 
sisted  of  so  many  carriages,  that  it  took  them  twenty-three  hours  to 
pass ;  and  the  whole  world  turned  out  to  see  him  enter  the  gates  of 
the  palace  where  the  King  and  Queen  and  Princess  D£siree  lived. 
The  King  and  Queen  saw  him  coming  and  were  very  pleased  with 
all  his  grandeur,  and  commanded  that  he  should  be  received  in  a 
manner  befitting  so  great  a  personage. 

Becafigue  was  taken  before  the  King  and  Queen,  and,  after 
paying  his  respects  to  them,  told  them  his  message  and  asked  to  be 
introduced  to  the  Princess  De"sire"e.  What  was  his  surprise  on  being 
refused ! 

'  I  am  very  sorry  to  have  to  say  no  to  your  request,  Prince 
Becafigue,'  said  the  King,  '  but  I  will  tell  you  why.  On  the  day  the 
Princess  was  born  a  fairy  took  an  aversion  to  her,  and  said  that  a 
great  misfortune  should  befall  her  if  she  saw  the  light  of  day  before 
she  was  fifteen  years  of  age.' 

'And  am  I  to  return  without  her?'  said  Becafigue.  '  Here  is  a 
portrait  of  the  Warrior  Prince.'  Then,  as  he  was  handing  it  to  the 
King,  and  was  about  to  say  something  further  about  it,  a  voice  came 
from  the  photograph,  speaking  with  loving  tones  : 

'  Dear  De'sire'e,  you  cannot  imagine  with  what  joy  I  wait  for 
you :  come  soon  to  our  court,  where  your  beauty  will  grace  it  as  no 
other  court  will  ever  be  graced.' 

The  portrait  said  nothing  more,  and  the  King  and  the  Queen 
were  so  surprised  that  they  asked  Becafigue  to  allow  them  to  show 
it  to  the  Princess. 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

Becafigue  readily  assented  and  the  Queen  took  the  portrait  to 
the  Princess  and  showed  it  to  her ;  and  the  Princess  was  delighted. 
Although  the  Queen  had  told  her  nothing,  the  Princess  knew  that  it 
meant  a  great  marriage,  and  was  not  surprised  when  her  mother 
asked  :  '  Would  you  be  cross  if  you  had  to  marry  this  man  ?' 

'  Madam,'  said  the  Princess,  '  it  is  not  for  me  to  choose ;  I 
shall  be  pleased  to  obey  whatever  you  wish.' 

'  But,'  said  the  Queen,  '  if  my  choice  should  fall  on  this  par 
ticular  Prince,  would  you  consider  yourself  happy  ? ' 

The  Princess  blushed  and  turned  her  eyes  away  and  said 
nothing ;  then  the  Queen  took  her  in  her  arms  and  kissed  her,  for 
she  loved  the  Princess  very  much  and  knew  that  she  would  soon 
lose  her,  for  it  wanted  only  three  months  to  her  fifteenth  birthday. 

When  the  Prince  knew  that  he  could  not  have  his  dear  Princess 
De"sire"e  until  three  months  had  passed,  he  became  very  sad,  and  could 
not  sleep  at  night,  until  at  last  his  strength  gave  way  and  he  was 
near  to  death.  Doctors  were  called  in,  but  they  could  do  nothing  at 
all,  and  the  King  was  in  a  dreadful  state,  for  he  loved  his  son  very 
much. 

Now  the  other  messenger,  who  was  sent  to  the  Black  Princess 
to  tell  her  that  the  Prince  had  changed  his  mind  and  was  going  to 
marry  another,  was  admitted  to  her  presence  and  soon  explained  his 
errand. 

'  Mr.  Messenger,'  she  said  when  he  had  finished,  '  is  it  possible 
that  your  master  does  not  think  I  am  beautiful  or  rich  enough? 
Look  out  over  my  broad  lands  and  you  will  find  that  they  are  so 
vast  that  you  cannot  see  where  they  end  ;  and,  as  for  money,  I  have 
large  coffers  full  to  the  brim,  as  any  one  will  tell  you.' 

'  Madam,'  replied  the  messenger,  '  I  blame  my  master  as  much 
as  a  humble  subject  may.  Now  if  I  were  sitting  on  the  greatest 
throne  in  the  world,  I  would  think  it  the  highest  favour  from  heaven 
if  you  would  share  it  with  me.' 

'That  speech  has  saved  your  life,'  said  the  Black  Princess,  'you 
may  go.' 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

When  the  Fairy  of  the  Fountain  heard  this  she  was  extremely 
angry  and  she  looked  in  her  book  to  make  sure  that  the  Warrior 
Prince  had  really  left  the  Black  Princess  in  favour  of  the  Princess 
Desire'e.  Yes,  it  was  quite  true. 

'  What ! '  cried  the  Fairy  of  the  Fountain,  '  this  ill-omened 
De"siree  is  always  in  some  way  upsetting  my  plans.  No!  I  will 
not  allow  it  to  happen  :  why  should  I  ?' 

Now  the  messenger  Becafigue  hurried  along  to  the  court  of 
Desire'e' s  father  and  mother,  and  threw  himself  at  their  feet,  and  told 
them  that  his  master  was  very  ill  and  likely  to  die  if  he  did  not  see 
the  Princess. 

The  King  and  Queen  agreed  that  it  would  be  best  to  go  and  tell 
the  Princess  about  the  Prince ;  so  the  Queen  went  and  told  her 
daughter  all  she  knew,  not  forgetting  to  mention  the  evil  wish  that 
had  been  laid  upon  her  at  the  time  of  her  birth.  But  the  Princess 
asked  her  mother  if  it  were  not  possible  to  defeat  this  wish  by 
taking  steps  to  send  her  to  the  Prince  in  a  carriage  with  all  the 
light  shut  out. 

This  was  agreed  upon  and  a  carriage  was  made  on  a  subtle  plan, 
with  a  separate  compartment  for  the  Princess,  and  mouse-trap  blinds 
through  which  food  and  drink  could  be  inserted  without  admitting 
the  light  of  day.  In  this  she,  with  her  two  ladies-in-waiting, 
Long-Epine  and  Girofle'e,  set  forth,  and  all  the  court  wept  together 
with  the  King  and  Queen  at  the  going  away  of  their  little  Princess. 

Now  Long-Epine  did  not  care  for  Desire'e  very  much,  and,  what 
is  more,  she  loved  the  Warrior  Prince,  having  seen  his  photograph 
and  heard  him  speak. 

The  Queen's  last  words  at  parting  were  : 

'  Take  care  of  my  little  daughter,  and  do  not  on  any  account  let 
her  see  the  light  of  day.  I  have  made  all  arrangements  with  the 
Prince  that  she  is  to  be  shut  up  in  a  room  where  she  will  not  be 
able  to  see  the  light,  and  every  care  will  be  taken.'  And,  with  these 
words  in  their  ears,  they  set  off,  having  promised  the  Queen  that  all 
would  be  done  as  she  wished. 

53 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

Long-Epine  told  herself  she  would  never  let  the  Princess  win 
the  Warrior  Prince,  not  if  she  could  prevent  it ;  so,  at  dinner  time 
that  day,  when  the  sun  was  at  its  highest,  she  went  as  usual  to  the 
carriage  with  the  Princess's  food,  and,  with  a  big  knife,  slit  the 
blind  so  that  the  light  streamed  in.  No  sooner  had  she  done  so  than 
a  strange  thing  happened.  The  Princess  had  been  quite  alone  in  the 
darkened  compartment ;  then  how  was  it  that  a  white  hind  leapt  out 
through  the  window  and  sped  away  into  the  forest?  Long-Epine 
watched  it,  wondering.  Then  she  looked  in  at  the  window,  but  the 
compartment  was  empty.  The  Princess  had  gone ! 

Immediately  the  Princess,  in  the  form  of  a  white  hind,  had 
disappeared  into  the  forest,  her  good  friend  Giroflee  began  to  chase 
after  her.  As  soon  as  she  had  gone,  Long-Epine  took  the  clothes  of 
her  mistress  and  dressed  herself  up  in  them,  and  resolved  to 
impersonate  the  Princess  before  the  young  Prince.  Then  the 
carriage  drove  on,  and  in  it  sat  Long-Epine  disguised  as  the 
Princess. 

When  they  arrived  she  presented  herself  as  Ddsirde ;  but  the 
Prince  looked  at  her  with  horror,  for  she  was  not  at  all  like  a  real 
Princess.  De'sireVs  dress,  which  she  wore,  came  to  her  knees,  and 
she  had  not  noticed  that  her  ugly  legs  showed  below  the  dress. 

'  This  is  not  the  Princess  of  the  portrait,'  said  the  Prince  and  his 
father  together.  '  You  took  us  for  fools,  no  doubt  I ' 

The  false  Princess  said  that  it  was  a  terrible  thing  to  bring  her 
away  from  her  kingdom  to  be  treated  in  this  way,  and  to  break  the 
word  that  they  had  given.  '  How  can  you  do  this?'  she  cried. 

At  this  the  Prince  and  his  father  were  so  angry  that  they  did 
not  reply  at  all,  but  simply  had  the  false  Princess  clapped  in  irons 
and  put  into  prison. 

The  Prince  was  so  heart-broken  at  this  new  trouble  that  he 
resolved  to  go  and  shut  himself  up  for  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
alone.  At  once  he  summoned  the  faithful  Becafigue,  and  told  him 
all.  Then  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  father  and  sent  it  by  Becafigue. 

'  If  I  never  see  my  real  Princess  again,'  he  wrote,  '  I  beg  of 

54 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

you  that  at  least  you  will  keep  that  sham  one  locked  up,  and  guard 
her  close.' 

Now  all  this  time  the  Princess  was  in  the  wood,  running  hither 
and  thither  as  hinds  do.  Once  or  twice  she  looked  at  herself  in  the 
water  of  the  fountain,  and  saw  herself  so  changed  that  she  cried  out: 
'  Is  it  I  ?  Am  I  this  hind  ?'  Then  at  last  she  got  very  hungry,  and 
began  to  eat  berries  and  herbs,  and  finally  sought  a  quiet  spot  and 
went  to  sleep. 

The  Fairy  Tulip  had  always  loved  the  Princess,  and  said  that 
if  she  left  the  castle  before  she  was  fifteen,  she  was  sure  that  the 
Fairy  of  the  Fountain  would  relent  and  do  her  no  harm.  But, 
as  for  Giroflee,  she  was  all  this  time  wandering  round  looking  for 
the  little  Princess.  She  had  walked  so  much  and  now  felt  so  tired 
that  she  lay  down  and  went  to  sleep  in  the  forest.  The  next  morning 
the  Princess,  seeking  moss  among  the  ferns,  found  her.  When  she 
saw  that  it  was  Girofle'e,  she  went  up  to  her  and  caressed  her  with 
her  nozzle,  as  hinds  do,  and  looked  into  her  eyes  until  at  last 
Girofle'e  knew  full  well  that  it  was  the  Princess  turned  into  a 
White  Hind.  She  watched  the  Hind  attentively  and  saw  two  large 
tears  fall  from  her  eyes,  and  then  there  was  not  a  single  doubt  that 
it  was  her  dear  little  Princess  ;  so  she  put  her  arms  around  her  neck, 
and  they  wept  together. 

Then  Girofle'e  told  the  Princess  that  she  would  never  leave  her, 
and  that  she  would  stay  with  her  until  the  end. 

The  Hind  understood,  and,  to  show  her  gratitude,  took  Giroflee 
into  the  very  deepest  part  of  the  forest  to  find  her  some  luscious  fruit 
which  she  had  seen  there  ;  but  on  the  way  Girofle'e  called  out  in 
alarm  :  she  would  die  of  fright  if  she  had  to  spend  the  night  in  such 
a  desolate  spot ;  and  then  they  both  began  to  cry.  Their  cries  were 
so  pitiful  that  they  touched  the  heart  of  the  good  Fairy  Tulip,  and 
she  came  to  their  aid. 

Girofle'e  begged  her  to  have  pity  on  her  young  mistress,  and  to 
give  her  back  her  natural  form,  but  the  Fairy  Tulip  said  that  it  was 
impossible  to  do  that.  She  said  that  she  would  do  what  she  could. 

55 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

She  told  Girofle'e  that  if  she  went  into  the  forest,  she  would  come  to 
the  hut  of  an  old  woman.  She  was  to  speak  her  fair  and  ask  her  to 
take  charge  of  both  of  them.  Then  when  night  came,  the  Princess 
would  change  back  into  her  natural  form ;  but  as  this  could  only 
happen  at  night  in  the  hut,  they  must  be  very  careful. 

Now  Girofle'e  thanked  the  fairy  and  went,  as  she  had  told  her, 
far  into  the  wood  ;  and  there,  sure  enough,  she  saw  a  hut  and  an  old 
woman  sitting  outside  on  a  bench.  She  went  up  to  her  at  once. 

'  My  dear  mother,'  she  said,  '  will  you  allow  me  to  have  a  little 
room  in  your  house  for  myself  and  my  little  Hind?' 

'  Yes,  my  dear  daughter,'  she  replied,  '  I  will  certainly  give  you  a 
room.'  And  she  immediately  took  them  into  the  hut,  and  then  into 
the  dearest  little  room  it  was  possible  to  find.  It  contained  two  little 
beds  all  draped  in  pure  white  and  beautifully  clean. 

As  the  night  began  to  come  in,  Ddsirde  changed  her  form  and 
became  the  Princess  again ;  and,  seeing  this,  Giroflee  kissed  her  and 
hugged  her  with  delight.  The  old  woman  knocked  at  the  door,  and, 
without  entering,  she  handed  Giroflee  some  fresh  fruit  which  they 
were  very  pleased  to  have  to  eat ;  and  then  they  went  to  bed.  But, 
as  soon  as  day  dawned,  De'sire'e  took  again  the  shape  and  form  of 
a  White  Hind. 

Now  Becafigue  was  in  the  very  same  wood,  and  came  to  the  hut 
where  the  old  woman  lived.  He  begged  her  to  give  him  something 
for  his  master  to  eat ;  but  the  old  woman  told  him  that  if  his  master 
spent  the  night  in  the  forest,  harm  would  surely  happen  to  him, 
because  it  was  full  of  wild  animals.  Why  should  he  not  come  to  her 
hut  ?  Why  should  he  not  accept  the  little  room  she  could  offer  him  ? 
He  was  welcome  to  it  and  a  good  meal  besides. 

Then  Becafigue  went  back  and  told  the  Prince  all  that  the  old 
woman  had  said  and  persuaded  him  to  accept  her  offer.  They  put 
the  Prince  into  the  room  next  to  the  Princess,  but  neither  of  them 
knew  anything  of  this  arrangement. 

The  next  morning  the  Prince  called  Becafigue,  and  told  him  that 
he  was  going  into  the  forest  and  that  he  was  not  to  follow  him. 

56 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

Giroflee  thanked  the  fairy  and  went  .  .  .  far  into  the 
wood;  and  there,  sure  enough,  she  saw  a  hut  and  an  old 
woman  sitting  outside. 


[See  page  56 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

The  Prince  had  walked  and  walked  for  a  long  time  in  the  forest, 
grieving  over  his  loss,  when  suddenly  in  the  distance  he  saw  a  lovely 
little  White  Hind,  and  gave  chase  and  tried  to  catch  it.  The  Hind, 
who  was  no  other  than  the  little  Princess,  ran  and  ran  far  away  until 
the  Prince,  in  utter  fatigue,  gave  up  the  chase ;  but  he  resolved  to 
look  again  the  next  day,  and  to  be  more  careful  this  time,  so  as  not 
to  let  the  Hind  get  away.  Then  he  went  home  and  told  the  story 
to  Becafigue,  while  the  Princess  on  her  side  was  telling  her  dear 
Giroflee  that  a  young  hunter  had  chased  her  and  tried  to  kill  her, 
but  she  was  so  fleet-footed  that  she  got  away. 

Giroflde  told  her  not  to  go  out  any  more,  but  to  stay  in  and  read 
some  books  that  she  would  find  for  her ;  but,  after  a  little  thought, 
the  Princess  found  it  too  awful  to  be  shut  up  in  one  little  room  all 
day  long,  so  the  next  morning  she  went  out  again  into  the  forest,  and 
wandered  through  the  beautiful  dells  and  glades.  After  going  some 
distance  she  saw  a  young  hunter  lying  down  on  the  mossy  bank 
asleep,  and,  approaching  him  cautiously,  she  found  that  she  was  now 
so  very  close  to  him  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  get  away  before 
he  awoke.  Then  again,  he  was  so  handsome,  that,  instead  of  running 
away,  she  rubbed  her  little  nose  against  the  young  hunter.  \Vhat 
was  her  surprise  to  see  that  it  was  her  dear  Prince !  for  he,  at  her 
caress,  opened  his  eyes,  and  she  at  once  recognised  him.  And  when 
he  jumped  up  and  stroked  and  patted  her,  she  trembled  with  delight 
and  raised  her  beautiful  eyes  to  his  in  the  dumb  eloquence  of 
love. 

'Ah!  little  White  Hind,'  said  he,  'if  you  only  knew  how  miser 
able  I  am,  and  what  the  cause  of  it  is,  you  would  not  envy  me  !  I 
love  you,  little  Hind,  and  I  will  take  care  of  you  and  look  after  you.' 
And  with  this  he  went  farther  into  the  forest  to  find  some  green 
herbs  for  her. 

Now  the  Hind  with  a  sudden  fright  found  its  heels  again,  and, 
just  because  she  wanted  so  much  to  stay,  she  bounded  off  as  fast  as 
she  could  go,  and  never  stopped  till  she  reached  home,  where  in  great 
excitement  she  told  Girofle'e  all  that  had  happened. 
H  57 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

The  Prince,  when  he  returned  and  found  that  the  Hind  had 
disappeared,  went  back  also  to  the  hut,  and  told  the  old  woman  that 
the  Hind  had  deserted  him  just  when  he  had  been  so  very  kind  to 
it  and  had  gone  in  search  of  food  for  it.  The  Warrior  Prince  then 
explained  to  Becafigue  that  it  was  only  to  see  the  little  Hind  that 
he  had  remained  so  long,  and  that  on  the  morrow  he  would  depart 
and  go  away.  But  he  did  not. 

The  Princess  in  the  meantime  resolved  to  go  a  long  way  into 
the  forest  on  the  morrow,  so  as  to  miss  the  Prince ;  but  he  guessed 
her  little  trick,  and  so  the  next  day  he  did  the  same  as  she.  Then, 
suddenly,  in  the  distance  he  saw  the  Hind  so  plainly  that  he  let  fly 
an  arrow  to  attract  its  attention.  What  was  his  dismay  to  see  the 
arrow  pierce  the  flank  of  the  poor  little  Hind  I  She  fell  down 
immediately  on  a  mossy  bank,  and  swiftly  the  Prince  ran  up.  He 
was  so  upset  at  what  had  happened,  that  he  flew  and  got  leaves  and 
stopped  the  bleeding.  Then  he  said  : 

'Is  it  not  your  fault,  little  flier?  You  ran  away  and  left  me 
yesterday,  and  the  same  would  have  happened  to-day  if  this  had  not 
occurred.' 

The  Hind  did  not  reply  at  all;  what  could  she  say?  And 
besides,  she  was  in  too  much  pain  to  do  anything  but  moan. 

The  Prince  caressed  her  again  and  again.  '  What  have  I  done 
to  you?'  he  said.  'I  love  you,  and  I  cannot  bear  to  think  I  have 
wounded  you.' 

But  her  moaning  went  on.  At  last  the  Prince  resolved  to  go  to 
the  hut  and  get  something  to  carry  her  on,  but  before  he  went  he 
tied  her  up  with  little  ribbons,  and  they  were  tied  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  Princess  could  not  undo  them.  As  she  was  trying  to  free 
herself  she  saw  Giroflee  coming  towards  her,  and  made  a  sign  to 
her  to  hasten ;  and,  strange  to  say,  Giroflde  reached  her  exactly  at 
the  same  moment  as  the  Prince  with  Becafigue. 

'  I  have  wounded  this  little  Hind,  madam,'  said  the  Prince,  'and 
she  is  mine.' 

4  Sir,'  replied  Girofle'e,  '  this  little  Hind  is  well  known  to  me — 

58 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

and,  if  you  want  to  see  how  she  recognises  me,  you  will  give  her  her 
liberty.' 

The  Prince  then  cut  the  ribbons  in  compliance  with  her  request. 

'  Come  along,  my  little  Hind,'  said  Girofle'e  ;  '  kiss  me  I ' 

At  this  the  little  Hind  threw  herself  on  Girofle"e's  neck.  '  Nestle 
to  my  heart !  Now  give  me  a  sigh  ! '  The  Hind  obeyed,  and  the 
Prince  could  not  doubt  that  what  Girofl6e  said  was  true. 

'  I  give  her  to  you,'  said  the  Prince  ;  '  for  I  see  she  loves  you.' 

Now  when  Becafigue  saw  Girofle'e,  he  told  the  Prince  that  he 
had  seen  her  in  the  castle  with  the  Princess  D6sir6e,  and  that  he 
knew  that  Giroflee  was  staying  in  a  part  of  their  own  hut.  Why 
could  they  not  find  out  if  the  Princess  was  staying  there  also?  So 
the  following  night,  the  Prince  having  agreed,  Becafigue  listened 
through  a  chink  in  the  wall  of  the  hut,  and  what  was  his  surprise 
to  hear  two  voices  talking  I  One  said  : 

'Oh,  that  I  might  die  at  once!  It  would  be  better  than  to 
remain  a  Hind  all  the  days  of  my  life  I  What  a  fate  I  Only  to  be 
myself  to  you,  and  to  all  others  a  little  White  Hind  !  How  terrible 
never  to  be  able  to  talk  to  my  Prince  1 ' 

Becafigue  put  his  eye  to  the  chink  and  this  is  what  he  saw. 

There  was  the  Princess  in  a  beautiful  dress  all  shining  with 
gold.  In  her  lovely  hair  were  diamonds,  but  the  tears  in  her  eyes 
seemed  to  sparkle  even  more  brightly.  She  was  beautiful  beyond 
words,  and  disconsolate  beyond  sorrow. 

Becafigue  nearly  cried  out  with  joy  at  sight  of  her.  He  ran  off 
at  once  and  told  the  Prince. 

'  Ah !  seigneur,'  said  he,  '  come  with  me  at  once  and  you  will 
see  in  the  flesh  the  maiden  you  love.' 

The  Prince  ran  with  him,  and  when  they  came  on  tiptoe  to  the 
chink  in  the  wall,  he  looked  and  saw  his  dear  Princess. 

Then  so  great  was  his  joy  that  he  could  not  be  restrained.  He 
went  and  knocked  at  the  door,  resolving  to  see  his  Princess  at  once. 

Giroflde,  thinking  it  was  the  old  woman,  opened  the  door,  and 
the  Prince  immediately  dashed  into  the  room  and  threw  himself  at 

59 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

the  feet  of  the  Princess,  and  kissed  her  hand  and  told  her  how  much 
he  loved  her. 

'  What !  my  dear  little  Princess,  was  it  you  that  I  wounded  as  a 
little  Hind?  What  can  I  do  to  show  my  sorrow  for  so  great  a 
crime  ? ' 

The  way  in  which  he  spoke  put  all  the  doubts  from  the 
Princess's  mind.  The  Prince,  knowing  all,  loved  her.  She  bade 
him  rise,  and  then  stood  with  downcast  eyes,  fearing  the  worst. 
Her  fears  were  justified :  in  a  moment  his  arms  were  around  her, 
and  she  was  sobbing  for  joy  on  his  breast. 

They  had  stood  a  moment  so,  when  suddenly  the  Prince  started 
and  listened.  What  sound  was  that?  It  was  the  tramp  of  armed 
men  ;  nearer  and  nearer  it  came — the  threatening  sound  of  an 
advancing  host.  He  opened  the  window,  and,  on  looking  out,  saw 
a  great  army  approaching.  They  were  his  own  soldiers,  going  up 
against  De'sirde's  father  to  avenge  the  insult  offered  to  their  Prince. 
And  the  King  his  father  was  at  their  head,  in  a  litter  of  gold. 

When  the  Warrior  Prince  saw  that  his  father  was  there  he  ran 
out  to  him  and  threw  his  arms  round  his  neck  and  kissed  him. 

'  Where  have  you  been,  my  son  ? '  said  the  King.  '  Your  absence 
has  caused  me  great  sorrow  I ' 

Then  the  Prince  told  him  all  about  Long-Epine,  and  how  the 
Princess  had  been  changed  into  a  Hind  through  her  disregard  of  the 
Fairy's  warning. 

The  King  was  terribly  grieved  at  this  news,  and  turned  his  eyes 
to  heaven  and  clasped  his  hands.  At  this  moment  the  Princess 
De'sirde  came  out,  mounted  on  a  pure-white  horse  and  looking  more 
beautiful  and  lovely  than  she  had  ever  been.  Girofle'e  was  also  with 
her  as  her  attendant.  The  spell  had  been  removed  for  ever. 

At  sight  of  them  the  old  King  blessed  them,  and  said  that  he 
would  give  his  kingdom  to  his  son  as  soon  as  he  was  married  to  the 
Princess  De'sire'e.  The  Princess  thanked  him  a  thousand  times  for 
his  goodness,  and  then  the  King  ordered  the  army  to  return  to  the 
city,  for  there  would  be  no  war,  but  only  rejoicing. 

60 


THE  HIND  OF  THE  WOOD 

Back  into  the  capital,  a  mighty  procession — an  army  headed  by 
its  rulers,  and  victorious  without  striking  a  blow.  Great  was  the 
joy  of  all  the  people  to  see  the  Prince  and  the  Princess,  and  they 
showered  upon  them  heaps  of  presents  the  like  of  which  was  never 
seen. 

The  faithful  Becafigue  begged  the  Prince  to  allow  him  to  marry 
Giroflee.  She  was  delighted  to  have  such  a  great  offer,  and  more 
than  delighted  to  remain  in  a  land  where  she  would  always  be  with 
her  dear  Princess. 

Now  the  Fairy  Tulip,  when  she  heard  all  that  had  happened, 
resolved,  out  of  the  goodness  of  her  heart,  to  give  Giroflee  a  splendid 
present,  so  that  her  husband  should  not  have  the  advantage  of  being 
the  richer.  It  will  astonish  you  to  hear  that  she  gave  her  four  big 
gold  mines  in  India  ;  and  you  know  what  gold  mines  in  India  are 
worth. 

And  the  marriage  feasts  lasted  several  months.  Each  day  was 
a  greater  day  than  the  one  before ;  and  every  day  the  adventures  of 
the  little  White  Hind  were  sung  throughout  the  country,  even  as 
they  are  still  sung,  in  boudoir,  fireside,  and  camp,  to  this  very  day. 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT 

HORSE 


IVAN   AND  THE   CHESTNUT   HORSE 

A   RUSSIAN    FAIRY   TALE 

IN  a  far  land  where  they  pay  people  to  keep  its  name  a  profound 
secret,  there  lived  an  old  man  who  brought  up  his  three  sons  just 
exactly  in  the  way  they  should  go.  He  taught  them  the  three  R's, 
and  also  showed  them  what  books  to  read  and  how  to  read  them. 
He  was  particularly  careful  about  their  education,  for  he  had  learned 
that  to  know  things  was  to  be  able  to  do  things. 

At  last,  when  he  came  to  die,  he  gathered  his  three  sons  round 
his  deathbed  and  cautioned  them. 

'  Do  not  forget,'  he  said — '  do  not  forget  to  come  and  read  the 
prayers  over  my  grave.' 

'  We  will  not  forget,  father,'  they  replied. 

The  two  elder  brothers  were  great  big,  strapping  fellows,  but  the 
youngest  one,  Ivan,  was  a  mere  stripling.  As  they  all  stood  around 
the  bed  of  their  dying  father,  he  looked  a  mere  reed  compared  to  his 
proud,  stout,  elder  brothers.  But  his  eyes  were  full  of  fire  and  spirit, 
and  the  firm  expression  of  his  mouth  showed  great  determination. 
And,  when  the  father  had  breathed  his  last,  and  his  two  elder 
brothers  wept  without  restraint,  Ivan  stood  silent,  his  pale  face  set 
and  his  eyes  full  of  the  bright  wonder  of  tears  that  would  not 
melt. 

On  the  day  that  they  buried  their  father,  Ivan  returned  to 
the  grave  in  the  evening  to  read  prayers  over  it.  He  had  done 
so,  and  was  making  his  way  homeward,  when  there  was  a  great 
clatter  of  hoofs  behind  him  ;  then,  as  he  reached  the  village 
square,  the  horseman  pulled  up  and  dismounted  quite  near  to  him. 

63 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

After  blowing  a  loud  blast  on  his  silver  trumpet — for  he  was  the 
King's  messenger — he  cried  in  a  loud  voice : 

'  All  and  every  man,  woman  and  child,  take  notice,  in  the  name 
of  the  King.  It  is  the  King's  will  that  this  proclamation  be  cried 
abroad  in  every  town  and  village  where  his  subjects  dwell.  The 
King's  daughter,  Princess  Helena  the  Fair,  has  caused  to  be  built 
for  herself  a  shrine  having  twelve  pillars  and  twelve  rows  of  beams. 
And  she  sits  there  upon  a  high  throne  till  the  time  when  the 
bridegroom  of  her  choice  rides  by.  And  this  is  how  she  shall  know 
him :  with  one  leap  of  his  steed  he  reaches  the  height  of  the  tower, 
and,  in  passing,  his  lips  press  those  of  the  Princess  as  she  bends 
from  her  throne.  Wherefore  the  King  has  ordered  this  to  be 
proclaimed  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  for  if 
any  deems  himself  able  so  to  reach  the  lips  of  the  Princess  and  win 
her,  let  him  try.  In  the  name  of  the  King  I  have  said  it  I ' 

The  blood  of  the  youth  of  the  nation,  wherever  this  proclamation 
was  issued,  took  flame  and  leapt  to  touch  the  lips  of  Princess  Helena 
the  Fair.  All  wondered  to  whose  lot  this  lucky  fate  would  fall. 
Some  said  it  would  be  to  the  most  daring,  others  contended  that 
it  was  a  matter  of  the  leaping  powers  of  the  steed,  and  yet  others 
that  it  depended  not  only  on  the  steed  but  on  the  daring  skill  of  the 
rider  also. 

When  the  three  brothers  had  listened  to  the  words  of  the 
King's  messenger  they  looked  at  one  another ;  at  least  the  elder 
two  did,  for  it  was  apparent  to  them  that  Ivan,  the  youngest,  was 
quite  out  of  the  competition,  whereas  they,  two  splendid  handsome 
fellows,  were  distinctly  in  it. 

'  Brothers,'  said  Ivan  at  last,  '  our  first  thought  must  be  to 
fulfil  our  father's  dying  wish.  But,  if  you  prefer  it,  we  could  take 
it  in  turns  to  read  the  prayers  over  our  father's  grave.  Let  it  be  the 
duty  of  one  of  us  each  day  to  fulfil  the  duty,  morning  and  evening.' 

The  elder  brothers  agreed  readily  to  this,  but,  when  Ivan  asked 
whose  turn  it  should  be  on  the  morrow,  they  both  began  to  make 
excuses. 

64 


IVAN   AND   THE   CHESTNUT   HORSE 

The  chestnut  horse  seemed  to  linger  in  the  air  at  the  top 
of  its  leap  while  that  kiss  endured. 


[See  page  69 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

1  As  for  me,'  said  the  eldest,  '  I  must  go  and  order  the  work  of 
the  farm  my  father  left  me,  and  that  will  take  seven  days.' 

'  And  for  me,'  said  the  younger,  '  I  must  see  to  the  estate 
which  is  my  part  of  the  inheritance,  and  that  also  will  take  seven 
days.' 

'  Then,'  replied  Ivan,  '  if  I  perform  the  duty  for  seven  days,  you 
will  each  do  your  share  afterwards  ? ' 

His  brothers  agreed  still  more  readily  than  before.  Then  they 
went  their  ways,  Ivan  full  of  thoughts  of  his  father,  and  the  other 
two  to  train  their  jumping  horses,  the  one  on  his  farm  and  the  other 
on  his  estate.  And  both  laughed  to  themselves,  for  neither  knew 
the  purpose  of  the  other. 

How  they  curled  their  hair  and  cleaned  their  teeth,  and 
practised  '  prunes  and  prisms '  with  their  mouths  close  to  the 
looking-glass ! — so  that  when,  at  one  bound  of  their  magnificent 
steeds,  they  reached  the  level  of  the  Princess's  lips,  to  aim  the  kiss 
that  was  to  win  the  prize,  they  would  make  a  brave  show,  and  a 
conquering  one.  As  for  their  little  brother,  they  each  thought  he 
could  go  on  praying  over  their  father's  grave  as  long  as  he  liked, — it 
would  be  the  best  thing  he  could  do,  and  it  would  not  interfere 
with  their  secret  plans,  so  carefully  concealed  from  each  other  and 
from  him. 

So,  for  seven  days,  in  their  separate  districts,  they  raced  about 
on  their  horses  by  day  and  dreamed  of  the  greatest  leaping  feats  by 
night.  And  at  the  end  of  the  seven  days  the  youngest  brother 
summoned  them  to  keep  their  agreement,  and  asked  which  of  them 
would  read  the  prayers,  morning  and  evening,  for  the  second  seven 
days. 

'  I  have  done  my  part,1  he  said ;  '  now  it  is  for  you  to  arrange 
between  you  which  one  shall  continue  the  sacred  duty.' 

The  two  elder  brothers  looked  at  each  other  and  then  at  Ivan. 

'  As  for  me,'  said  one,  '  I  care  little  who  does  it,  so  long  as 
I  am  free  to  get  on  with  my  business,  which  is  more  important.' 

'  And  as  for  me,'  said  the  other,  '  I  am  in  no  mind  to  watch 
i  65 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

each  blade  of  grass  growing  on  the  grave.  I  cannot  really  afford 
the  time,  I  am  so  busy.  You,  Ivan, — you  are  different :  you  are 
not  a  man  of  affairs ;  how  could  you  spend  your  time  better  than 
reading  prayers  over  our  father's  grave  ?  ' 

'So  be  it,'  replied  Ivan.  'You  get  back  to  your  work  and  I 
will  attend  to  the  sacred  duty  for  another  seven  days.' 

The  two  elder  brothers  went  their  separate  ways,  and  for  seven 
more  days  devoted  their  entire  attention  to  training  their  horses  for 
the  flying  leap  at  the  Princess's  lips.  How  they  tore  like  mad  about 
the  fields  !  How  they  jumped  the  hedges  and  ditches  1  How  they 
curled  their  hair  and  dyed  their  moustaches  and  practised  their  lips, 
not  only  to  '  prunes  and  prisms,'  but  to  '  peaches  of  passion '  and 
'  pomegranates,'  and  '  peripatetic  perambulation '  and  everything  they 
could  think  of!  In  fact,  they  paid  so  much  attention  to  the  lips  which 
were  to  meet  those  of  the  Princess  at  the  top  of  the  flying  leap,  that 
they  began  to  neglect  their  own  and  their  horses'  meals.  In  other 
words,  they  were  beginning  to  show  signs  of  over-training. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  seven  days  Ivan  again  summoned  them 
to  a  family  council,  and  asked  them  if  either  of  them  could  now  take 
up  the  sacred  duty.  But  no ;  thinking  heavily  on  horses  and  lips, 
and  high  jumps  and  kisses,  they  spoke  lightly  of  fields  to  be  tilled, 
seed  to  be  sown,  and  all  such  things  that  must  be  done  at  once. 
Their  view  was — and  they  got  quite  friendly  over  it — that  Ivan 
should  be  more  than  delighted  to  bear  this  pleasurable  burden  of 
reading  prayers  over  his  father's  grave.  Indeed,  nothing  but  the 
stern  call  of  immediate  duty  would  prevail  upon  them  to  relinquish 
a  task  so  pleasant. 

'  So  be  it/  said  Ivan  ;  '  I  will  perform  the  sacred  duty  for  another 
seven  days.'  But  as  he  spoke,  he  noted  his  brothers'  curled  hair  and 
dyed  moustaches,  and  gleaned  from  this,  and  from  the  look  of  sudden 
suspicion  and  jealousy  exchanged  between  them,  that  they  were  both 
in  love  with  the  same  fair  one.  But  he  kept  this  to  himself,  and  left 
them  to  their  own  concerns. 

Again,  at  the  end  of  seven  days,  when  Ivan  had  read  the  prayers 

66 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

devoutly,  he  summoned  his  brothers.  But  they  did  not  come. 
Both  sent  messages  saying  that  they  were  frightfully  busy,  and 
would  he  be  so  good  as  to  go  on  with  the  sacred  duty  until  they 
could  be  spared  to  do  their  share  later  on.  Ivan  accepted  their 
messages,  and  went  on  reading  the  prayers  over  the  father's  grave. 

Meanwhile  each  of  his  brothers  prepared  for  the  great  flying 
leap;  and  each  said  to  himself:  'What  about  Ivan?  He  would  like 
to  see  this  great  exploit.  It  might  make  a  man  of  him.  He  is 
altogether  lacking  in  ambition,  and  to  see  a  great  deed  done  might 
stir  him  to  try  to  be  a  great  hero  himself.  But  yet — I  fear  it  would 
never  do.  He  is  so  weedy,  so  insignificant.  I  feel  I  should  lose  by 
having  a  brother  like  that  anywhere  about.  No ;  he  is  far  better 
reading  prayers  over  our  father's  grave.' 

So  each  in  his  own  way  resolved  to  go  in  alone — apart  from  the 
other  and  apart  from  Ivan. 

The  morning  of  the  great  day  came.  The  eldest  brother  had 
chosen  from  his  horses  a  magnificent  black  one  with  arched  neck  and 
flowing  mane  and  tail.  The  second  brother  had  selected  a  bay 
equally  splendid.  And  now,  at  sunrise,  they  were,  each  unknown  to 
the  other,  combing  their  well-curled  hair,  re-dyeing  their  moustaches, 
and  booting  and  trapping  themselves  for  the  wonderful  display  of 
prowess  the  day  was  to  bring  forth.  And  they  did  not  forget  to 
make  sure  that  their  lips  were  as  fit  as  they  were  anxious  for  the 
'  high  kiss.' 

At  the  appointed  time  they  rode  into  the  lists  and  drew  their 
lots,  and  neither  was  altogether  surprised  at  seeing  his  brother  among 
the  host  of  competitors  for  the  hand  of  Helena  the  Fair.  Their 
surprise  came  later,  when  Ivan  arrived  on  the  scene. 

It  so  happened  in  this  way:  that,  towards  evening,  when  his 
two  brothers  had  each  had  their  last  try  to  leap  up  to  the  Princess's 
lips  and  failed,  like  every  one  else,  Ivan  himself  was  reading  the 
prayers  over  his  father's  grave.  Suddenly  a  great  emotion  came 
over  him,  and  he  stopped  in  his  reading.  He  was  filled  with  a 
longing  to  look  just  for  once  upon  the  face  of  Helena  the  Fair,  for 

67 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

whose  favour  he  knew  that  the  most  splendid  in  the  land  were 
competing  with  their  wonderful  steeds.  So  strong  was  this  longing 
that  he  broke  down  and,  bending  over  his  father's  grave,  wept 
bitterly. 

And  then  a  strange  thing  happened.  His  father  heard  him  in 
his  coffin,  and  shook  himself  free  from  the  damp  earth,  and  came 
out  and  stood  before  him. 

'  Do  not  weep,  Ivan,  my  son,'  he  said.  And  Ivan  looked  up 
and  was  terrified  at  the  sight  of  him. 

'  Nay,  my  son,  do  not  fear  me,'  his  father  went  on.  '  You  have 
fulfilled  my  dying  wish,  and  I  will  help  you  in  your  trouble.  You 
wish  to  look  upon  the  face  of  Helena  the  Fair,  and  so  it  shall  be.' 

With  this  he  drew  himself  up,  and  his  aspect  was  commanding. 
Then  he  called  in  a  loud  voice,  and,  as  the  echoes  of  his  tones  began 
to  die  away,  Ivan  heard  them  change  into  the  far-distant  beat  of  a 
horse's  hoofs.  After  listening  for  a  while  his  father  called  again,  and 
this  time  the  echo  was  a  horse's  neigh  and  galloping  hoofs.  It  seemed 
beyond  the  hillside,  and  Ivan  looked  up  and  wondered.  A  third  time 
his  father  called,  and  nearer  and  nearer  came  the  galloping  sound,  until 
at  last,  with  a  thundering  snort  and  a  ringing  neigh,  a  beautiful 
chestnut  horse  appeared,  circled  round  them  thrice,  and  then  came  to 
a  halt  before  them,  its  two  forefeet  close  together  and  its  eyes,  ears, 
and  nostrils  shooting  flames  of  fire. 

Then  came  a  voice,  and  Ivan  knew  it  was  the  voice  of  the 
chestnut  horse  with  the  proudly  arched  neck  and  flowing  mane : 

'  What  is  your  will  ?     Command  me  and  I  obey  ! ' 

The  father  took  Ivan  by  the  hand  and  led  him  to  the  horse's 
head. 

'  Enter  here  at  the  right  ear,'  he  said,  '  and  pass  through,  and  make 
your  way  out  at  the  left  ear.  By  so  doing  you  will  be  able  to 
command  the  horse,  and  he  will  do  whatever  you  may  wish  that  a 
horse  should  do.' 

So  Ivan,  nothing  doubting,  passed  in  at  the  right  ear  of  the 
chestnut  horse  and  came  out  at  the  left ;  and  immediately  there  wa* 

68 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

a  wonderful  change  in  him.  He  was  no  longer  a  dreamy  youth  :  he 
was  at  once  a  man  of  affairs,  and  the  light  of  a  high  ambition  shone 
in  his  eyes. 

'Mount I  Go,  win  the  Princess  Helena  the  Fairl'  said  his 
father,  and  immediately  vanished. 

With  one  spring  Ivan  was  astride  the  chestnut  horse,  and,  in 
another  moment,  they  were  speeding  like  lightning  towards  the 
shrine  of  Helena  the  Fair. 

The  sun  was  setting,  and  the  two  elder  brothers,  disconsolate, 
were  about  to  withdraw  from  the  field,  when,  startled  by  the  cries  of 
the  people,  they  saw  a  steed  come  galloping  on,  well  ridden,  and  at 
a  terrific  pace.  They  turned  to  look  and  they  marked  how  Helena 
the  Fair,  disappointed  of  all  others,  leaned  out  to  watch  the 
oncoming  horseman.  And  the  whole  concourse  turned  and  stood 
to  await  the  possible  event. 

On  came  the  chestnut  horse,  his  nostrils  snorting  fire,  his  hoofs 
shaking  the  earth.  He  neared  the  shrine,  and,  to  a  masterful  rein, 
rose  at  a  flying  leap.  The  daring  rider  looked  up  and  the  Princess 
leaned  down,  but  he  could  not  reach  her  lips,  ready  as  they 
were. 

The  whole  field  now  stood  at  gaze  as  the  chestnut  horse  with  its 
rider  circled  round  and  came  up  again.  And  this  time,  with  a 
splendid  leap,  the  brave  steed  bore  its  rider  aloft  so  that  the  fragrant 
breath  of  the  Princess  seemed  to  meet  his  nostrils,  and  yet  his  lips 
did  not  meet  hers. 

Again  they  circled  round  while  all  stood  still  and  tense.  Again 
the  chestnut  steed  rose  to  the  leap,  and,  this  time,  the  lips  of  Ivan 
met  those  of  the  Princess  in  a  long  sweet  kiss,  for  the  chestnut 
horse  seemed  to  linger  in  the  air  at  the  top  of  its  leap  while  that 
kiss  endured. 

Then,  while  the  Princess  looked  after,  horse  and  rider  reached 
the  ground  and  disappeared  like  lightning. 

Instantly  the  host  of  onlookers  swarmed  in. 

'  Who  is  he  ?  Where  is  he  ? '  was  the  cry  on  every  hand.  '  He 

69 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

kissed  her  on  the  lips,  and  she  kissed  him.     Look  at  herl     Is  it 
not  true  ? ' 

It  was  true,  for  Princess  Helena  the  Fair,  with  a  lovelight  in  her 
eyes,  was  leaning  down  and  searching,  with  all  her  soul,  even  for  the 
very  dust  spurned  from  the  heels  of  her  lover's  horse.  But  she 
could  see  nothing,  and  sank  back  within  her  shrine,  treasuring  the 
kiss  upon  her  lips ;  while  the  people,  dissatisfied,  but  wondering 
greatly,  melted  away.  Among  them  went  the  splendid  brothers, 
seeking  how  they  could  sell  their  well-trained  horses  to  advantage, 
for  they  had  both  been  frantically  near  to  the  Princess's  lips. 

Whither  had  Ivan  flown  on  the  chestnut  horse?  Loosing  the 
reins — he  cared  for  nothing  but  the  kiss — he  let  his  steed  go,  and 
presently  it  came  to  a  standstill  before  his  father's  grave.  There  he 
dismounted  and  turned  the  horse  adrift.  As  if  its  errand  was 
completed,  it  galloped  off;  a  rainbow  came  down  to  meet  it,  and, 
closing  in,  seemed  to  snatch  it  up  in  its  folds.  Ivan  was  alone 
before  his  father's  grave. 

Once  more  he  bowed  himself  in  prayer.  Once  more  his  father 
appeared  before  him. 

'  Thou  hast  done  well,  O  my  son,'  he  said.  '  Thou  hast  fulfilled 
my  dying  wish,  but  my  living  wish  is  yet  to  be  fulfilled.  To-morrow 
Helena  the  Fair  will  summon  the  people  and  demand  her  bridegroom. 
Be  thou  there,  but  say  nothing.' 

With  this  Ivan  found  himself  alone. 

On  the  following  day  there  was  a  great  gathering  at  the  palace, 
and,  in  the  midst  of  it,  sat  Princess  Helena  the  Fair  demanding  her 
bridegroom — the  one  who  had  leapt  to  her  lips  and  won  her  from  all 
others.  Her  heart  and  soul  and  body  were  his.  The  half  of  her 
kingdom  to  come  was  his.  She,  herself,  was  his  ; — where  was  he  ? 

Search  was  made  among  the  highest  in  the  land,  but,  fearing 
a  demand  for  the  repetition  of  the  leap  and  the  kiss,  none  came 
forward.  Ivan  sat  at  the  back,  a  humble  spectator. 

'  She  is  thinking  of  that  leap  and  that  kiss,'  said  he  to  himself. 
'When  she  sees  me  as  I  am,  then  let  her  judge.' 

70 


IVAN  AND  THE  CHESTNUT  HORSE 

But  love,  though  blind,  has  eyes.  The  Princess  rose  from  her 
seat  and  swept  a  glance  over  the  people.  She  saw  the  two  handsome 
elder  brothers  and  passed  them  by  as  so  much  dirt.  Then,  by  the 
light  of  love,  she  descried,  sitting  in  a  corner,  where  the  lights  were 
low,  the  hero  of  the  chestnut  horse, — the  one  who  had  leapt  high  and 
reached  her  lips  in  the  first  sweet  kiss  of  love. 

She  knew  him  at  once,  and,  as  all  looked  on  in  wonder,  she 
made  her  way  to  that  dim  corner,  took  him  by  the  hand  without  a 
word,  and  led  him  up,  past  the  throne  of  honour,  to  an  ante-chamber, 
where,  with  the  joyous  cries  of  the  people  ringing  in  their  ears,  their 
lips  met  a  second  time, — at  the  summit  of  a  leap  of  joy. 

At  that  moment  the  King  entered,  knowing  all. 

'  What  is  this  ? '  said  he. 

Then  he  smiled,  for  he  understood  his  daughter,  and  knew  that 
she  had  not  only  chosen  her  lover,  but  had  won  her  choice. 

'My  son,'  he  added,  without  waiting  for  an  answer,  'you  and 
yours  will  reign  after  me.  Look  to  it !  Now  let  us  go  to  supper.' 


THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY- 
COLOURED  BEDCHAMBER 


THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY-COLOURED 
BEDCHAMBER 

AN    IRISH    FAIRY   TALE 

ONE  day  in  the  long  ago,  the  sun  shone  down  upon  a  green  wood 
whose  mightiest  trees  have  since  rotted  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean, 
where  the  best  masts  find  a  grave.  While  the  sunlight  slept  on  the 
bosom  of  the  foliage,  a  horseman  galloped  in  the  shade  beneath. 
The  great  chief  Fion,  son  of  Cumhail,  was  looking  for  his  knights, 
whom  he  had  outstripped  in  the  hunt. 

He  reined  in  his  steed  in  a  broad  glade,  and  blew  his  bugle  loud 
and  clear.  Beside  the  echoes  repeated  among  the  hillsides,  there  was 
no  answering  call.  He  rode  on,  pausing  now  and  again  to  blow 
another  and  another  bugle-blast,  but  always  with  the  same  result. 

At  length  the  wood  grew  more  scattered,  and  presently  he  came 
out  upon  a  stretch  of  plain  where  the  grass  was  so  green  that  it 
looked  like  emerald  ;  and  beyond  it  in  the  distance,  at  the  end  of  the 
sloping  plain,  he  could  see  the  seashore,  and  the  ocean  rising  like  a 
wall  of  sapphire  up  to  the  farthest  horizon. 

Down  by  the  shore  he  could  see  figures  moving,  and,  thinking 
that  his  knights  had  found  their  way  thither,  he  rode  like  the  wind 
down  the  long,  gentle  slope  towards  them.  As  he  drew  nearer  and 
nearer,  he  saw  that  there  were  twelve  of  them,  and  they  were  playing 
at  ball.  By  the  mighty  strokes  they  gave  with  the  coman  he  guessed 
that  these  were  the  twelve  sons  of  Bawr  Sculloge,  for  none  but  them 
could  drive  the  ball  so  high  and  far.  Tremendous  were  their  strokes, 
and,  when  they  ran  after  the  ball,  they  outstripped  the  wind. 

As  Fion  drew  rein  and  dismounted,  they  stopped  their  play; 
K  73 


QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY-COLOURED  BEDCHAMBER 

and,  drawing  near,  welcomed  him  loudly  as  the  helper  of  the  weak, 
and  the  protector  of  the  green  island  against  the  white-faced  stranger. 

When  he  had  returned  their  greeting,  they  invited  him  to  join 
them  in  their  game — if  such  an  amusement  was  agreeable  to  him. 

'  Fion,  son  of  Cumhail,'  said  one,  '  here,  take  my  coman  and 
wipe  away  the  vanity  and  conceit  of  all  comers,  for  we  are  practising 
for  a  great  contest.' 

Fion  took  the  coman  and  looked  at  it,  holding  it  up  between  his 
finger  and  thumb. 

'  I  doubt  if  I  could  do  much  good  with  this  plaything,"  said 
Fion  ;  '  it  would  break  at  first  blow  if  I  were  to  strike  at  all  hard.' 

'  Never  let  that  stand  in  the  way,'  returned  the  other.     'Wait ! ' 

He  then  searched  upon  the  ground  among  the  blades  of  grass, 
and  at  length  found  a  nettle,  which  he  pulled  up  by  the  roots. 
Having  breathed  a  charm  over  it,  he  passed  it  three  times  from  one 
hand  to  the  other,  and  lo,  it  was  changed  into  a  mighty  coman,  fit 
for  the  hand  of  Fion,  son  of  Cumhail. 

Then  they  were  amazed  at  his  terrific  blows.  The  ball,  struck 
by  Fion,  soared  almost  out  of  sight  in  the  sky,  and  fell  to  earth 
far  off.  But,  each  time,  the  fleet-footed  sons  of  Bawr  Sculloge 
retrieved  it. 

At  last  Fion  bared  his  arm  to  the  shoulder,  and,  with  a  final 
blow,  sent  the  ball  out  of  sight.  None  saw  it  go ;  none  saw  it  fall. 
They  all  stood  and  looked  at  each  other. 

'  My  hand  on  it,'  said  the  eldest  son  of  Bawr,  advancing  to  Fion. 
'  I  live  to  admit  that  I  never  saw  the  game  played  till  to-day.' 

As  they  were  speaking,  a  voice  hailed  them ;  and,  turning  sea 
wards,  they  saw  a  small  boat  approaching.  As  soon  as  it  touched 
the  beach,  a  man  sprang  ashore,  and  hastened  towards  them. 

'  Hail !  Fion,  son  of  Cumhail ! '  he  cried.  '  You  are  known  to 
me,  though  not  I  to  you.  My  lady,  the  Queen  of  Sciana  Breaca,  lays 
a  knight's  task  upon  you.  Hasten  forthwith,  and  have  speech  with 
her  on  her  island.  The  hand  of  Flat  Ear  the  Witch  is  upon  her, 
and  her  chiefs  have  advised  her  to  summon  you  to  her  aid.' 

74 


QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY-COLOURED  BEDCHAMBER 

'  I  know  it/  replied  Fion.  '  The  Salmon  of  Wisdom,  which 
comes  up  from  the  sea,  breeds  knowledge  in  my  brain.  I  know 
what  is  passing  in  all  the  islands,  but  I  fear  that  my  efforts  against 
witchcraft  would  be  unavailing.  Nevertheless,  I  will  try.  I  will 
choose,  from  the  twelve  sons  of  Bawr  Sculloge,  three  that  I  need, 
and  together  we  will  follow  you  to  the  island.' 

'  But,  noble  chief,  you  have  no  boat  here,  and  mine  will  hold 
only  one  other  beside  myself.' 

'  Let  not  that  trouble  you,"  replied  Fion.  '  I  will  provide  a  boat 
for  us  four,  and  we  will  follow  you.' 

With  this  he  selected  from  the  twelve  sons  the  three  that  he 
needed.  They  were  Chluas,  Grunne,  and  Bechunach.  Then  he 
plucked  two  twigs  of  a  witch  hazel  that  grew  near  by,  and  they  all 
proceeded  to  the  beach.  There  he  held  the  two  twigs  out  over  the 
water,  and,  in  a  moment,  the  one  became  a  boat  and  the  other  a  mast 
with  sail  set.  He  sprang  in  and  the  three  followed,  and  presently 
they  were  speeding  over  the  sea,  setting  their  course  by  that  of  the 
stranger  in  his  boat. 

They  sailed  for  many  hours  before  they  came  to  the  island  of 
the  Queen  of  the  Many-coloured  Bedchamber.  There  they  passed 
between  high  rocks,  and  entered  a  quiet  harbour,  where  they  moored 
their  boat  to  a  stout  pillar  and  set  a  seal  upon  the  fastening,  for 
bidding  any  but  themselves  to  loose  it  for  the  space  of  one  year,  for 
they  knew  not  how  long  their  quest  would  last.  Then  they  went  up 
into  the  palace  of  the  Queen. 

They  were  gladly  welcomed  and  treated  with  the  most  generous 
hospitality.  When  they  had  eaten  and  drank,  the  Queen  led  them 
into  a  vast  bedchamber  decorated  in  the  form  and  manner  of  the 
rainbow.  Over  the  ceiling  were  the  seven  colours  in  their  natural 
order.  Round  the  walls  they  ranged  themselves  in  the  same  fashion, 
and  even  the  carpet  itself  was  formed  of  seven  hues  to  correspond. 
If  the  rainbow  itself  had  been  caught  and  tied  up  in  a  room,  the 
effect  could  not  have  been  more  remarkable.  It  was  indeed  a  many- 
coloured  bedchamber ! 

75 


QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY-COLOURED  BEDCHAMBER 

Taking  Fion  by  the  hand,  the  Queen  led  them  all  into  a  corner 
of  the  bedchamber,  where  she  pointed  to  a  little  cot  in  which  a  child 
lay  sleeping. 

'  I  had  three  children,'  she  said  as  she  stood  at  the  head  of  the 
cot,  while  Fion  and  the  others  gathered  round.  '  When  the  eldest 
was  a  year  old  it  was  carried  off  by  that  wicked  witch,  Flat  Ear. 
The  next  year,  when  the  second  one  was  twelve  months  old,  it 
suffered  the  same  fate.  And  now  my  youngest  here,  who  is  twelve 
months  old  to-day,  has  fallen  sick,  and  I  fear  to  lose  him  in  the  same 
manner.  This  very  night  the  witch  will  surely  come  and  snatch  my 
child  away  unless  you  can  prevent  her.' 

'  Take  comfort,  fair  Queen,'  said  Fion.  '  We  will  do  our  best. 
If  you  will  leave  this  chamber  to  us  we  will  watch  over  your  child 
and  see  that  it  comes  to  no  harm.  And,  if  it  be  possible  to  capture 
the  witch,  depend  upon  it  we  shall  do  so.  Too  long  she  has  worked 
her  wickedness  upon  these  lands.' 

The  Queen  thanked  him  and  withdrew.  Soon  the  sun  was  set, 
and,  as  the  child  slept  on  and  the  shadows  gathered,  Fion  and  the 
three  brothers  set  their  watch  in  the  Many-coloured  Bedchamber. 
Presently  servants  came  in  and  set  wine  before  them — honey-mead 
and  Danish  beer,  and  metheglin  and  sweet  cakes.  And,  while  they 
regaled  themselves,  the  servants  brought  chessmen  and  a  board,  and 
Grunne  and  Bechunach  played  chess  while  Fion  and  Chluas  watched 
by  the  bedside. 

Hours  passed  while  the  two  chess-players  were  absorbed  in  their 
game  and  the  other  two  kept  watch  and  ward.  Then,  towards 
midnight,  while  Fion  was  alert  and  wakeful,  he  saw  Chluas  sink 
his  chin  on  his  breast,  overcome  by  an  unnatural  sleep.  Thrice 
Chluas  strove  to  rouse  himself,  but  thrice  he  sank  into  a  deeper 
sleep. 

'  Wake  up,  Chluas ! '  cried  Grunne,  as  Bechunach  was  con 
sidering  his  next  move.  '  Wake  up  I  We  have  a  pledge  to 
keep.' 

Chluas  roused  himself.  'Yes,  yes,'  he  said;  'we  have  a  pledge 

76 


QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY-COLOURED  BEDCHAMBER 

to  keep.'     And  then  his  chin  sank  gradually  on  his  breast  again,  and 
he  was  once  more  a  victim  to  the  same  unnatural  sleep. 

'  Let  him  alone/  said  Fion.     '  I  will  watch.' 

And  the  two  brothers  went  on  with  their  game  of  chess. 

Suddenly  a  chill  wind  swept  through  the  bedchamber.  The 
fire  in  the  grate  flickered,  and  the  candles  burned  low:  the  child 
in  the  cot  stirred  and  moaned. 

'  See  that  I '  said  Fion  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  pointing  to  the 
fireplace. 

They  turned  and  looked.  It  was  a  long,  lean,  bony  hand 
reaching  down  the  chimney  and  groping  in  the  direction  of  the  cot. 
The  fingers  were  spread  out  and  crooked,  all  ready  to  clutch.  Slowly 
the  long  arm  lengthened  and  drew  near  the  cot.  It  was  about  to 
snatch  the  child,  when  Fion  darted  forward  and  seized  it  in  an  iron  grip. 

There  was  a  violent  struggle,  for  Fion  had  the  arm  of  the  witch  in 
his  powerful  grasp.  He  held  on  so  masterfully  that  the  witch,  in  her 
frantic  efforts  to  draw  it  away,  fell  down  the  chimney,  rolled  across 
the  fire,  struck  Fion  a  terrific  blow  on  the  temple  with  her  other 
hand,  and  then,  falling  on  top  of  his  unconscious  body,  lay  still,  her 
shoulder  torn  and  bleeding. 

Grunne  and  Bechunach  quickly  ran  to  Fion's  aid,  and,  leaving 
the  witch  for  dead,  quickly  withdrew  his  body  and  restored  him  to 
consciousness.  Then,  when  they  turned  to  see  to  the  witch,  they 
found  that  both  she  and  the  child  had  vanished. 

They  sprang  to  their  feet  and  roused  Chluas  roughly.  But  he 
sank  to  sleep  again  immediately. 

'  What  shall  we  do  ? '  they  all  asked  of  Fion. 

'  Follow ! '  said  he ;  '  follow  where  I  lead.  Grunne,  pick  up  your 
bow  and  arrows;  Bechunach,  knot  your  ladder  of  cords.  Follow  me, 
both  of  you.  Leave  Chluas  sleeping  :  he  is  not  in  his  body ;  his  spirit 
goes  with  us,  and  we  cannot  do  without  it.' 

So  Grunne  gathered  up  his  bow  and  arrows  and  Bechunach  his 
rope,  and  the  three,  leaving  the  body  of  Chluas  like  dead  wood,  went 
forth  to  seek  the  witch. 

77 


QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY-COLOURED  BEDCHAMBER 

They  came  to  the  seashore,  loosed  their  boat,  sped  across  the 
harbour  and  out  between  the  high  rocks.  Then,  guided  by  the 
loosed  spirit  of  the  sleeping  Chluas,  they  sped  forward  on  the  ocean, 
driven  by  a  freshening  breeze.  All  the  while  the  spirit-light,  floating 
above  the  waves,  led  them  on. 

It  was  some  two  hours  before  dawn  when  they  descried,  in  the 
distance,  the  lighted  tower  of  the  witch,  upon  an  island.  A  dull,  red 
flame  shot  out  from  it,  and,  as  it  turned  for  ever  on  itself,  this  flame 
lighted  the  sea  around  like  a  revolving  wheel,  clear  and  red  against 
the  surrounding  blackness. 

Nearer  and  nearer  they  approached  it.  Then  Fion  stood  up  in 
the  boat  and  chanted  magic  spells,  raising  his  arms  and  sinking 
them  again  with  fingers  stretched  and  his  palms  downwards.  Then 
with  a  loud  cry  he  called  for  sleep  to  descend  on  the  vile  witch  of  the 
revolving  tower. 

Ere  yet  his  cry  had  died  away  on  the  surrounding  sea  the  red 
light  ceased  to  revolve.  It  was  still,  glaring  dully.  Then,  as  the 
boat  touched  the  beach  beneath  the  tower,  Fion  commanded 
Bechunach  to  throw  his  knotted  cord  and  noose  the  topmost 
turret. 

It  was  soon  done.  The  noose  caught,  and  held.  And,  in 
another  moment,  Bechunach,  like  a  wild  cat  of  the  mountain,  was 
climbing  up.  Fion  and  Grunne  followed,  while  the  spirit  of  Chluas, 
who  lay  fast  asleep  in  the  Many-coloured  Bedchamber,  guided  and 
directed  their  every  movement. 

They  gained  a  window  of  the  tower  and  made  their  way  in. 
Following  the  gleam  of  the  dull,  red  light,  they  went  from  room  to 
room,  and  at  last  came  to  one  where  it  shone  clearly  through  the 
cracks  of  the  door.  They  burst  in,  and  stood  aghast  on  the  threshold 
at  the  sight  that  met  their  gaze. 

There  on  the  floor  lay  the  witch,  in  a  magic  sleep,  the  blood 
flowing  from  her  shoulder,  torn  by  Fion  in  the  struggle.  And  there, 
around  her,  crying  bitterly,  were  the  Queen's  three  children. 

Fion  stooped  down  and  swept  his  arm  round  them,  and  took 

78 


QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY-COLOURED  BEDCHAMBER 

them  aside  and  comforted  them.  Then  he  gathered  the  youngest  to 
his  breast,  and,  directing  Grunne  and  Bechunach  to  see  to  the  other 
two,  he  led  the  way  to  the  window. 

In  a  very  short  time  they  had  all  climbed  down  the  rope  ladder 
and  were  speeding  away  in  the  boat.  But,  as  they  left  the  island, 
the  spell  was  released.  The  tower,  with  its  wheel  of  red  light,  began 
again  to  revolve  upon  the  waters,  and  they  heard  the  witch's  shriek 
of  rage  as  she  awoke  to  the  pain  of  her  wound,  to  find  the  children 
gone.  It  came  again  and  again,  that  shriek  of  baffled  hate  and  rage 
and  pain.  Then,  as  they  looked  back,  they  saw  a  dark  form  glide 
down  the  walls  of  the  tower  like  a  loathsome  thing  creeping  head 
downwards.  It  reached  the  foot  and  sped  to  the  seashore.  Then  it 
seemed  to  loose  a  boat,  and,  in  another  moment,  it  was  speeding  in 
pursuit  of  them.  Faster  and  faster  over  the  waves  it  came. 

'  Quick ! '  cried  Fion  to  Grunne.  '  Draw  your  bowstring  to 
your  ear.  You  will  not  miss :  the  spirit  of  the  sleeper  will  guide 
your  shaft.' 

Grunne  fitted  an  arrow  to  his  bowstring,  and  drew  it  to  his  ear. 
Then,  as  Fion  shot  forward  his  outstretched  hands,  casting  a  vivid 
light  from  his  finger-tips  over  the  surface  of  the  sea,  the  arrow  sped 
with  a  twang  and  a  whiz. 

A  terrible  cry  came  back  across  the  water.  The  witch,  struck  to 
the  heart,  threw  up  her  arms,  and,  falling  from  her  boat,  sank  in 
the  sea. 

Fion  put  down  his  hands,  and  then  all  was  dark,  save  for  a  dull 
red  light  which  flickered  and  played  above  the  spot  where  the  witch 
had  sunk  ;  and  they  sped  on. 

Now  they  neared  the  harbour,  and  saw  a  multitude  of  people 
waiting,  with  torches  waving.  When  they  gained  the  foothold  of 
the  land,  with  the  three  children  in  their  arms,  the  people  raised  a 
mighty  cheer.  The  Queen  heard  it  and  hastened  to  meet  them. 

Great  was  her  joy  on  receiving  her  three  children  at  the  hands 
of  Fion.  And  she  showered  upon  him  every  blessing,  entertaining 
him  and  his  comrades — the  three  sons  of  Bawr  Sculloge — for  a 

79 


QUEEN  OF  THE  MANY-COLOURED  BEDCHAMBER 

whole  year.  And  every  year  thereafter — lest  the  deed  be  forgotten — 
on  the  anniversary  of  the  day  she  sent  a  boat  laden  with  gold  and 
silver  and  precious  stones,  and  shields  and  helmets  and  chess-tables 
and  rich  cloaks ;  and  the  sons  of  Bawr  Sculloge  invited  Fion  to  join 
them  in  high  festival  on  that  day,  for  they  said,  '  Such  deeds  should 
never  be  forgotten.' 

And,  one  morning  in  spring,  Fion,  son  of  Cumhail,  went  into 
the  gardens  and  orchards  about  his  palace  and  plucked  many  twigs 
from  flowers  and  fruit  trees,  and  with  these  he  went  down  to  the 
seashore.  Holding  them  above  the  waves,  he  recited  a  spell,  and 
immediately  a  boat  was  formed  of  the  twigs — a  trim  little  craft  with 
sail  set. 

He  sprang  in  and  steered  his  course  for  the  isle  of  the  Queen  of 
the  Many-coloured  Bedchamber.  And,  as  he  sped  over  the  waves, 
the  boat  began  to  bud  ;  and  green  leaves  appeared  on  the  mast,  and 
the  spars  and  stays  put  out  the  growth  of  spring,  till  they  shone  like 
emerald  in  the  sun. 

When  he  came  in  sight  of  the  island,  the  sides  of  the  boat  were 
covered  with  blossoms,  the  mast  had  put  out  a  wealth  of  petals,  and 
the  sail  and  rigging  were  covered  with  flowering  vines.  Then,  as  he 
passed  between  the  high  rocks  and  entered  the  harbour,  the  watchers 
on  shore  saw  a  boat  approaching,  splendid  with  summer  flowers,  and 
on  its  mast  were  spreading  branches  dropping  down  with  luscious 
fruit.  Nearer  and  nearer  it  came,  and,  when  it  touched  the  shore, 
Fion  sprang  out,  and  bade  them  gather  the  beautiful  flowers  and  the 
ripe  fruit  and  take  them  to  their  Queen. 

And  Queen  Breaca  valued  this  present  more  than  any  other  he 
could  have  offered,  because  the  manner  of  it  was  beautiful,  and  a 
Queen  is  a  woman,  and  a  woman  loves  beautiful  things  above  all 
else. 

And  Chluas,  the  sleeper — what  reward  had  he?  He  claimed 
none,  and  none  knows  what  was  his  reward.  Yet  it  is  said  that  in 
the  Land  of  Deep  Sleep  there  are  rewards  undreamt  of  by  those  who 

wake. 

80 


THE    BLUE    BIRD 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

A   FRENCH    FAIRY   TALE 

THERE  was  once  upon  a  time  a  King  who  was  tremendously  rich 
both  in  money  and  lands.  His  wife,  the  Queen,  died,  and  left  him 
inconsolable.  He  shut  himself  up  for  eight  days  in  a  little  room, 
and  banged  his  head  against  the  wall  so  much  that  it  was  believed 
he  would  kill  himself,  so  grieved  was  he  at  his  loss. 

All  his  subjects  resolved  between  themselves  to  go  and  see  him, 
and  they  did.  Some  said  that  he  could  show  his  grief  in  a  less 
painful  manner.  Others  made  speeches  grave  and  serious,  but  not 
one  of  them  made  any  impression  on  the  widowed  King.  Eventu 
ally  there  was  presented  to  him  a  woman  dressed  in  the  deepest 
mourning,  and  she  cried  and  moaned  so  long  and  so  loud  that  she 
caused  no  little  surprise. 

She  said  to  the  King  that  she  did  not  like  the  others  coming  to 
ask  him  to  stay  his  crying,  for  nothing  was  more  just  than  that  he 
should  cry  over  the  loss  of  a  good  wife ;  and  that  as  for  her,  who 
once  had  the  very  best  of  husbands,  and  had  lost  him,  she  would 
cry  for  him  as  long  as  she  had  eyes  in  her  head  to  cry  with ;  and 
immediately  she  let  out  and  redoubled  her  sobs,  and  the  King, 
following  her  example,  did  the  same. 

Each  one  recounted  to  the  other  the  good  qualities  of  their  dear 
dead  ones  ;  so  much  so  that  at  last  there  was  nothing  more  could  be 
found  to  say  about  their  losses  and  their  great  sorrow.  In  the  end 
the  widow  lifted  her  deep  veil,  and  the  poor  afflicted  King  gazed  at 
the  afflicted  one,  who  kept  turning  and  turning  her  great  blue  eyes 
with  long  black  lashes.  The  King  watched  her  with  deep  attention  ; 
and  little  by  little  he  talked  less  of  his  lost  Queen,  until  at  last  he 
forgot  to  talk  of  her  at  all. 

L  81 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

The  widow  then  said  that  for  ever  she  would  cry  and  mourn  for 
her  husband,  but  the  King  begged  her  not  to  go  to  that  limit  and 
immortalise  her  sorrow.  In  the  end  he  astonished  her  by  saying 
that  he  would  marry  her,  and  that  the  black  would  be  changed  into 
green  and  pink,  the  colour  of  roses.  It  suffices  to  say  that  the  King 
did  as  the  stories  tell :  did  all  that  was  possible  and  all  that  she  wished. 

Now  the  King  had  but  one  daughter  of  his  first  marriage,  and 
she  was  considered  one  of  the  eight  wonders  of  the  world ;  her  name 
was  Florine,  because  she  resembled  a  beautiful  flower:  she  was 
fresh,  young  and  lovely.  She  was  always  dressed  in  the  most 
beautiful  transparent  clothes,  and  with  garlands  of  flowers  in  her 
hair,  which  made  a  beautiful  effect.  She  was  only  fifteen  years  old 
when  the  King  married  again. 

The  new  Queen  also  had,  by  her  first  husband,  a  daughter,  who 
had  been  brought  up  by  her  godmother,  the  fairy  Soussio ;  but  she 
was  neither  beautiful  nor  gracious.  The  girl's  name  was  Truitonne, 
because  her  face  was  so  like  the  face  of  a  trout,  and  her  hair  was  so 
full  of  grease  that  it  was  impossible  to  touch  it ;  and  her  skin  simply 
ran  with  oil.  But  the  Queen  did  not  love  her  any  the  less.  All  she 
could  do  was  to  talk  of  the  charming  Truitonne,  and  how  Florine 
had  all  sorts  of  advantages  over  her;  and  the  Queen  became 
desperate,  and  sought  every  possible  way  to  make  the  King  see 
faults  in  Florine. 

One  day  the  King  said  to  the  Queen  that  Florine  and  Truitonne 
were  big  enough  to  marry  now,  and  that  the  first  Prince  who  came 
to  the  court  should  have  one  of  the  two  Princesses  in  marriage. 

'  I  maintain,'  said  the  Queen,  '  that  my  daughter  shall  be  the 
one  to  get  the  trousseau ;  she  is  the  elder,  and  she  is  a  million  times 
more  amiable,  and  those  are  the  points  that  matter,  after  all.' 

The  King,  who  hated  disputes,  said  that  it  was  well,  and  that 
she  was  her  own  mistress. 

Some  time  afterwards,  news  came  that  Prince  Charming  had 
arrived.  Never  did  a  Prince  display  such  gallantry  and  magnifi 
cence;  his  manner  and  looks  were  in  keeping  with  the  name  he  bore. 

82 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

When  the  Queen  heard  of  this  handsome  Prince  she  employed  all 
the  dressmakers  and  tailors  to  dress  Truitonne,  and  make  her  pre 
sentable,  and  she  begged  the  King  that  Florine  should  have  nothing 
at  all  new.  Her  one  thought  was  to  have  all  the  beautiful  clothes 
ready  before  the  arrival  of  Prince  Charming  at  court. 

When  he  came  the  Queen  received  him  in  all  pomp  and 
splendour,  and  presented  to  him  her  daughter  more  brilliant  than  the 
sun,  and  more  ugly  than  she  was  usually,  because  of  all  the  jewels 
she  had  on. 

Prince  Charming  turned  away  his  eyes ;  the  Queen  tried  to 
persuade  him  that  the  Princess  pleased  him  very  much.  But  he 
demanded  to  know  if  there  was  not  another  Princess  called  Florine? 
'  Yes,'  said  Truitonne,  pointing  with  her  finger ;  '  see,  there  she  is, 
hidden  away,  because  she  is  not  good.' 

Florine  reddened,  and  looked  so  beautiful,  so  beautiful,  that 
Prince  Charming  forgot  himself.  He  bowed  the  knee  and  made 
a  low  curtsy  to  the  Princess.  'Madam,'  said  he,  'your  incompar 
able  beauty  is  too  much  ;  but  for  you  I  should  have  sought  help  in  a 
strange  land.' 

'  Seigneur,'  replied  the  Princess,  '  I  am  sorry  that  I  am  not 
dressed  in  a  proper  manner,  but  I  have  only  my  old  clothes ;  yet  I 
thank  you  for  asking  to  see  me.' 

'  It  would  be  impossible,'  said  Prince  Charming,  '  that  any  one 
once  seeing  you  could  have  eyes  for  anything  else  than  so  beautiful 
a  Princess.' 

'Ah!'  said  the  Queen,  irritated,  'I  do  well  wasting  my  time 
listening  to  you.  Believe  me,  seigneur,  Florine  is  also  a  coquette ; 
she  does  not  deserve  that  you  should  be  so  gallant  to  her.' 

Prince  Charming  understood  the  motives  of  the  Queen  in 
speaking  of  Florine  in  this  way.  He  was  not  in  a  position  to  prove 
the  truth,  but  he  let  it  be  seen  that  all  his  admiration  was  for 
Florine. 

The  Queen  and  Truitonne  were  very  upset  to  see  that  he  pre 
ferred  Princess  Florine.  So,  when  Princess  Florine  left  the  company 

83 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

of  Prince  Charming,  the  Queen  with  impatience  waited  for  her  to 
return  to  her  room.  There  were  hidden  four  men  with  masks  over 
their  faces,  and  they  had  orders  to  take  the  Princess  Florine  away 
on  a  journey,  to  await  the  pleasure  of  Prince  Charming,  so  that  she 
would  please  him  better  and  would  make  him  a  better  spouse. 

The  Queen  then  went  to  the  Prince  and  told  him  that  the 
Princess  was  a  coquette,  and  had  a  bad  temper ;  that  she  tormented 
the  servants,  and  did  not  know  how  to  behave  herself;  that  she  was 
avaricious,  and  preferred  to  be  dressed  like  a  little  shepherdess  rather 
than  like  a  Princess. 

To  all  this  Prince  Charming  listened.  '  But,'  said  he,  '  it  would 
be  impossible  for  so  beautiful  and  amiable  a  girl  to  be  all  that  you 
say.  How  could  that  be  true  of  one  with  such  modest  grace  and 
beauty  ?  even  though  she  be  dressed  in  a  humble  little  frock.  That 
is  not  a  thing  that  touches  me  very  much.  It  pains  me  far  more  to 
know  that  the  Queen  hurts  her  feelings,  and  you  are  not  a  step 
mother  for  nothing ;  and  really,  madam,  the  Princess  Truitonne  is 
so  ugly  that  it  would  be  hard  to  find  anything  uglier  amongst 
God's  creatures.  The  courtiers,  too,  do  not  look  at  all  pleased  to 
hear  you  speak  badly  of  Florine.' 

The  Queen  spent  half  of  the  night  questioning  him,  for  she 
could  not  believe  that  he  loved  Florine.  And  the  poor  Princess 
Florine  was  terrified  because  the  four  men  with  masks  had  taken  her 
far  away. 

'  I  do  not  doubt  that  it  is  for  the  Queen's  advantage  that  I  am 
taken  away,'  said  she.  And  she  cried  so  much  that  even  her  enemies 
were  touched. 

The  Queen  in  the  meantime  gave  Prince  Charming  all  the  jewels 
he  could  wish  for,  and  lavished  her  attention  on  him.  The  King 
presented  him  with  a  little  book  with  gold  covers  and  studded  with 
diamonds,  and  inside  it,  he  told  him,  was  a  photograph  of  his  future 
wife. 

'What!'  said  Prince  Charming,  'the  beautiful  Princess  Florine? 
Ah  I  she  thinks  of  me,  and  in  a  most  generous  manner.' 

84 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

'  Seigneur/  said  the  King,  '  you  mistake  ;  we  take  the  part  of  the 
amiable  Truitonne.  I  am  cross,  seigneur,  that  you  do  not  accept 
this  great  honour ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  a  King  is  merely  a  King : 
he  is  not  master  enough  to  make  the  engagements  that  he  would  like.' 

The  Prince  at  last  asked  for  Princess  Florine. 

'  Seigneur,'  said  the  Queen,  '  her  father  desired  that  she  should 
go  away  until  my  daughter  is  married.' 

'  And  for  what  reason/  said  the  Prince,  '  should  this  beautiful 
girl  be  made  a  prisoner  ? ' 

'  I  ignore  all  that/  said  the  Queen. 

So  the  Prince  left  the  Queen's  company  because  it  was  not 
congenial  to  him.  When  he  entered  his  own  room,  he  said  to  a 
young  Prince  who  had  accompanied  him,  and  whom  he  loved  very 
much,  that  he  would  give  all  the  world  to  be  able  to  speak  to  one  of 
the  women  of  the  beautiful  Princess  for  a  moment.  His  young 
friend  found  one  at  once  whom  it  would  be  possible  to  question  with 
confidence.  She  told  him  that  the  same  evening  Florine  would  be 
at  a  little  window  that  looked  out  on  to  the  garden  and  that  he  could 
then  speak  to  her,  but  that  he  must  take  every  precaution,  lest  the 
Queen  and  King  should  overhear. 

The  Prince  was  delighted,  and  made  ready  to  see  the  Princess. 
But  the  wicked  maid  went  at  once  and  told  the  Queen  all  that  had 
passed.  It  was  then  arranged  that  Truitonne  should  take  her  place ; 
and  so,  with  great  precautions,  Truitonne  placed  herself  at  the  little 
window. 

The  night  was  very  dark ;  so  much  so  that  it  was  impossible  for 
Prince  Charming  to  suspect  the  change  passed  upon  him.  He 
expressed  himself  exactly  the  same  to  Truitonne  as  he  had  to 
Florine  and  plainly  showed  his  love  for  her.  Truitonne,  profiting 
by  her  mother's  instructions,  said  that  she  was  the  most  unhappy 
person  in  the  world  to  have  such  a  wicked  and  cruel  stepmother,  and 
that  she  would  have  to  suffer  until  her  stepsister  was  married.  The 
Prince  assured  her  that  he  would  marry  her  if  she  would  have  him, 
and  that  he  would  give  her  his  heart  and  his  crown  ;  and  he  removed 

85 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

a  ring  from  his  finger  and  put  it  on  the  finger  of  Truitonne,  as  a 
token  of  his  faith,  and  told  her  that  she  would  only  have  to  wait  an 
hour,  when  a  carriage  would  come  to  take  her  away.  Truitonne 
begged  of  him  to  go  to  the  Queen  and  ask  her  to  give  her  her  liberty, 
and  assured  him  that,  if  he  would  come  back  to-morrow  at  the  same 
hour,  she  would  be  ready. 

The  Queen  was  very  happy  at  the  success  of  her  scheme.  The 
Prince  took  a  carriage  drawn  by  three  great  frogs  with  great  big 
wings,  which  made  the  carriage  simply  fly.  Truitonne  came  out 
mysteriously  by  a  little  door,  and  the  Prince,  who  was  awaiting  her 
appearance,  at  once  put  his  arms  around  her  and  swore  eternal  faith, 
but,  as  he  was  not  in  any  humour  to  take  a  long  journey  in  the 
flying  carriage  without  marrying  the  Princess  whom  he  loved,  he 
demanded  of  her  where  they  could  go.  She  told  him  that  she  had  a 
fairy  godmother  named  Soussio,  who  was  a  very  celebrated  person, 
and  that  they  would  have  to  go  to  her  castle. 

Then  the  Prince,  not  knowing  the  road,  begged  of  the  frogs 
with  the  flying  wings  to  put  them  on  the  right  way  ;  and  they  did 
so,  for,  mind  you,  frogs  know  all  the  routes  of  the  universe.  And 
so,  in  no  time,  they  found  themselves  at  the  castle  of  the  fairy 
Soussio. 

Then  Truitonne  told  the  godmother  that  she  had  trapped 
Prince  Charming  and  that  she  wanted  to  marry  him.  The  god 
mother  was  not  so  sure  that  it  could  be  done,  'for,'  said  she,  'he 
loves  Princess  Florine.'  At  all  events  she  went  to  the  room  where 
the  Prince  was,  and  said  to  him :  '  Prince  Charming,  here  is  the 
Princess  Truitonne  to  whom  you  have  given  your  faith  ;  she  is  my 
godchild,  and  I  wish  that  you  marry  her  at  once.' 

'Me!'  cried  he;  'you  want  me  to  marry  that  little  monster? 
You  must  think  I  am  very  easily  pleased  when  you  put  forward  such 
a  proposition  to  me.  She  knows  full  well  that  I  have  never  promised 
her  anything.  And  if  she  says  otherwise,  she  is ' 

1  Do  not  deny,'  said  the  Fairy,  '  and  do  not  be  bold  and  forget 
the  respect  that  you  owe  me.' 

86 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

'  I  respect  you,'  replied  the  Prince,  '  as  much  as  it  is  possible  to 
respect  a  fairy.  Come,  now.  Will  you  deliver  me  my  Princess?' 

'  Is  it  that  you  do  not  know  me  ? '  said  Truitonne ;  and  she 
showed  him  his  ring,  adding,  '  and  to  whom  did  you  give  this  ring 
at  the  little  window  as  a  pledge  of  your  faith,  if  it  was  not  to  me? 
Come,  now,  do  not  pretend  that  you  have  forgotten.' 

'  No !  no !  I  am  not  going  to  be  duped  and  deceived,'  said 
the  Prince.  '  Come  I  come,  my  great  frogs !  I  want  to  depart 
at  once.' 

'You  cannot  depart  without  my  consent,  said  the  Fairy,  and 
she  immediately  touched  his  feet  and  they  became  glued  to  the 
floor. 

'  I  will  not,'  said  the  Prince,  '  have  any  other  than  my  Princess 
Florine ;  on  that  I  am  resolved,  and  all  you  say  and  do  will  not 
change  me  one  little  bit.' 

Soussio  became  sweet  and  used  every  art  in  her  power  to  induce 
the  Prince  to  marry  Truitonne.  Truitonne  cried,  raved,  and  begged  ; 
but  the  Prince  would  not  say  one  single  word  to  her ;  he  only 
looked  at  her  with  indignant  eyes  and  replied  not  a  word  to  all  her 
overtures. 

He  passed  twenty  days  and  twenty  nights  like  this.  At  last 
the  Fairy  was  so  tired  of  it  all  that  she  said  to  the  Prince,  '  Very  well; 
you  are  obstinate,  and  will  not  listen  to  reason,  and  will  not  keep 
your  word  and  marry  my  godchild  I ' 

The  Prince,  who  had  not  spoken  a  word,  at  last  replied  :  '  Do 
to  me  what  you  will,  but  deliver  me  from  the  dullness  of  this 
place  I ' 

'  Dullness  ! '  cried  Truitonne  ;  'bother  you  !  You  have  done  me 
a  great  injury  in  coming  here  to  my  country  and  giving  me  your 
word  and  then  breaking  it.' 

'  Listen  to  the  touching  words,'  said  the  Prince  in  sarcasm. 
'  See  what  I  have  lost  in  refusing  to  take  so  beautiful  a  woman  for 
my  wife.' 

'  No  I  no  I '  replied  Soussio,  '  she  shall  never  be  that,  and  for 

87 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

your  insult  to  her  you  shall  fly  through  this  window,  and  remain  a 
Blue  Bird  for  seven  years.  Do  you  hear  me? — a  Blue  Bird  for 
seven  years.' 

Immediately  the  Prince  began  to  change,  and  his  arms  became 
covered  with  feathers,  and  he  became  a  Blue  Bird  ;  his  eyes  became 
bright,  and  on  his  head  a  great  white  plume  arose  like  a  crown — and 
he  flew  away  through  the  window. 

In  his  sad  mood  he  flew  from  branch  to  branch,  warbling  his 
song  of  sorrow  and  his  love  for  Florine,  and  deploring  the  awful 
wickedness  of  their  enemies.  He  thought  that  he  was  doomed  for 
seven  years,  and  that  Florine  would  be  married  to  another. 

When  Truitonne  returned  to  the  Queen  and  told  her  all  that 
had  happened  she  flew  into  a  terrible  temper.  She  resolved  to 
punish  the  poor  Florine  for  having  engaged  the  love  of  Prince 
Charming.  So  she  dressed  the  Princess  Truitonne  in  all  her 
grandeur,  and  on  her  finger  was  the  ring  given  her  by  the  Prince ; 
and,  when  Florine  saw  this,  she  knew  that  the  ring  belonged  to  her 
Prince.  The  Queen  then  announced  to  all  that  her  daughter  was 
engaged  to  Prince  Charming,  and  that  he  loved  her  to  distraction. 
Florine  did  not  doubt  the  truth  of  it  all.  When  she  realised  that 
she  would  never  marry  her  Prince  Charming,  she  cried  all  the  night, 
and  sat  at  the  little  window  nursing  her  regrets.  And,  when  the  day 
arrived  for  the  marriage,  she  shut  the  window  and  continued  to  cry. 

During  this  time  the  Blue  Bird,  or  Prince  Charming,  did  not 
cease  to  fly  round  the  castle.  The  Princess  sat  at  the  window  and 
every  night  entreated  that  she  might  be  delivered.  '  O  wicked 
Queen ! '  she  cried,  '  to  keep  me  shut  up  like  this  because  of  Prince 
Charming  1 ' 

The  Blue  Bird  heard  this  and  did  not  lose  a  word,  but  waited  to 
see  who  the  lady  was  who  had  such  a  sorry  plaint.  But  she  shut 
the  window  and  retired.  The  Blue  Bird,  curious  to  see  and  to  hear 
some  more,  came  again  the  following  night,  and  again  there  was  a 
maiden  at  the  window  who  was  full  of  regrets. 

1  Fortune  I '  said  she,  '  you  have  taken  from  me  the  love  of  my 

88 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

The  Prince  took  a  carriage  drawn  by  three  great  frogs 
with  great  big  wings  ....  Truitonne  came  out 
mysteriously  by  a  little  door. 


ISee  page  86 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

father.  I  have  received  a  blow  at  a  tender  age ;  and  it  is  so  much 
pain  that  I  am  tired  of  living.  I  demand  with  all  my  heart  that  my 
fatal  destiny  may  end.' 

The  Blue  Bird  listened,  and  then  he  knew  that  it  was  his 
Princess,  and  he  said :  '  Florine,  a  King  who  loves  you  will  never 
love  any  one  but  you.' 

'A  King  who  loves  me!'  said  she.  'Is  this  another  snare  of 
my  enemies?' 

'  No,  my  Princess.'  And  Florine  was  very  much  afraid  of  this 
bird  who  spoke  with  as  much  spirit  as  a  man.  But  the  beauty  of 
his  plumage  reassured  her. 

'Would  it  be  possible  to  see  you,  my  Princess?'  said  he. 
'Could  I  taste  a  happiness  so  great  without  dying  of  joy?  But, 
alas  I  this  great  joy  would  be  troubled  by  your  captivity,  and  the 
wicked  fairy  Soussio  has  done  this  for  seven  years.' 

'And  who  are  you,  charming  bird?'  said  the  Princess 
caressingly. 

'  You  have  said  my  name  rightly,  and  yet  you  fail  to  recognise 
me,'  replied  the  Prince. 

'What!  The  greatest  King  in  the  world  I  The  Prince 
Charming  1  cried  the  Princess.  '  Is  he  the  little  bird  I  see?' 

'Alas!  dear  Florine,  it  is  too  true!  And,  if  one  thing  consoles 
me,  it  is  that  I  prefer  this  sorrow  rather  than  renounce  the  love  I 
have  for  you.' 

'  For  me  I ' 

And  so  this  went  on.  The  Blue  Bird  paid  visits  to  Florine 
every  night,  and  they  were  as  happy  as  it  was  possible  to  be.  One 
evening  Prince  Charming  flew  away  to  his  palace,  and  brought  back 
lovely  diamond  bracelets,  beautiful  pearl  necklaces  and  a  sweet  little 
pearl  watch,  and  gave  them  all  to  Florine. 

The  Queen  could  not  understand  how  it  was  that  Florine  had 

such  lovely  jewels  and  why  she  looked  so  happy,  so  she  questioned 

her  about  it.     Florine,  who  knew  that  if  she  said  the  Blue  Bird  had 

given  them  to  her,  they  would  not  believe  her,  and  would  try  to  drive 

M  89 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

him  away,  said  she  did  not  know.  The  Queen  said  the  Evil  One 
must  have  bought  her  soul,  and  decided  to  watch. 

She  did  so,  and  discovered  that  the  Blue  Bird  came  every  night. 
Then  Truitonne  and  her  mother  sought  the  help  of  the  wicked  fairy 
Soussio ;  and  she,  to  please  her  godchild,  worked  another  spell  on 
the  poor  Blue  Bird,  so  that  he  could  not  come  any  more  to  see  his 
Florine. 

One  day  his  friend  the  Good  Fairy  was  passing  by  a  certain 
spot  where  he  was  a  prisoner  in  a  tree,  and  she  saw  a  trail  of  blood 
and  heard  a  very  weak  voice  calling  her,  but  nowhere  could  she  find 
the  Blue  Bird.  But  she  knew  it  was  his  blood.  Then,  after  a  long 
time,  she  found  him  in  his  tiny  nest,  dying. 

This  was  the  Good  Fairy  who  had  given  him  the  flying-frog 
carriage,  so  again  she  resolved  to  help  him  if  she  could.  Away  she 
went  to  the  fairy  Soussio  and  asked  her  to  release  the  spell  on 
Prince  Charming.  Soussio  agreed  to  do  so  if  he  would  marry 
Truitonne.  Then  the  Good  Fairy  conducted  Prince  Charming  back 
to  his  castle,  where,  on  his  arrival,  the  ugly  Truitonne  was  awaiting 
his  return,  dressed  in  lovely  clothes,  and  more  ugly  than  ever. 

Now  the  old  King  died,  and  the  people,  who  hated  the  Queen 
and  her  ugly  daughter,  said  that  they  would  have  no  other  Queen 
but  Florine,  and  they  went  to  her  in  her  little  room  and  begged  her 
for  their  sake  to  be  their  Queen.  But  she  said  she  had  not  the  heart 
for  anything  because  she  had  lost  her  lover,  Prince  Charming.  They 
asked  her  again  to  become  their  Queen  and  then  to  go  out  and  look 
for  him,  and  they  were  sure  she  would  find  him. 

So  she  became  their  Queen,  and  then  dressed  herself  as  a  poor 
peasant,  and  went  out  into  strange  lands  and  travelled  in  many 
strange  places,  thinking  to  find  her  beloved  Prince.  But  it  was  all 
of  no  avail.  One  day  she  stopped,  out  of  sheer  fatigue,  to  rest  by  a 
fountain,  and,  while  she  was  there,  the  Good  Fairy,  disguised,  came 
by  and  asked  her  what  she  was  crying  for.  Florine  told  her  all 
about  the  Prince  whom  she  loved  and  was  seeking.  Then  the  Good 
Fairy  told  her  that  Prince  Charming  was  at  his  own  castle  and  that 

90 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

the  spell  had  been  removed,  and  she  gave  Florine  four  little  eggs,  and 
said  that  whenever  she  was  in  trouble  she  was  to  throw  one  of  them 
down,  and  at  the  same  time  ask  what  she  wanted,  and  it  would  be 
granted.  With  these  words  she  disappeared. 

Florine  turned  her  face  towards  the  castle  of  the  Prince,  and, 
after  many  trials  and  sufferings,  she  found  herself  at  the  feet  of  her 
ugly  sister  Truitonne.  Florine,  disguised  as  a  poor  peasant,  was 
not  recognised,  so  she  offered  her  lovely  jewels  for  sale,  and 
Truitonne,  who  loved  jewellery,  resolved  to  buy  them.  But  Florine 
would  not  sell  for  money :  all  she  asked  was  to  spend  a  night  in  the 
castle.  Truitonne  was  only  too  glad  to  get  them  at  such  a  price,  and 
agreed. 

Feeling  that  the  poor  peasant  girl  was  giving  her  something  for 
nothing,  and  imagining  that  she  did  not  really  know  the  value  of  the 
jewels,  Truitonne  allowed  her  sister  every  liberty  in  the  palace.  She 
could  go  where  she  would,  unquestioned,  and  do  what  she  pleased. 

Florine  took  every  advantage  of  this,  and,  mixing  freely  among 
the  attendants,  she  soon  learned  many  things  about  Prince  Charming. 
Among  other  pieces  of  news  was  this  important  item :  the  Prince, 
being  unable  to  sleep,  was  in  the  habit  of  taking  a  sleeping-draught 
every  night. 

On  hearing  this  she  sought  the  Prince's  head  valet,  and  made 
herself  so  charming  to  him  that  he  lost  his  head  altogether,  and  was 
more  than  willing  to  fulfil  her  lightest  wish. 

'  Tell  me,'  said  she  at  last,  '  why  does  the  Prince  take  sleeping- 
draughts  ?' 

'  Ah  ! '  replied  he,  looking  very  wise,  '  it  is  because  the  Princess 
is  so  ugly.' 

'  Because  she  is  so  ugly?     I — I  don't  understand." 

'What!  From  the  very  first  the  Prince's  waking  hours  have 
been  one  long,  frightful  dream  ;  and  he  can  only  banish  it  by  night 
by  taking  the  sleeping-draught.  The  Prince  is  deeply  in  love  with 
the  Princess's  sister,  but  no  one  but  myself  knows  that.  Every 
night,  when  he  sinks  to  sleep  under  the  draught,  he  smiles,  and  his 

91 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

face  looks  so  very  happy,  and  he  whispers  one  name  again  and 
again:  "Florinel  Florine  I  " 

The  peasant  girl's  heart  beat  hard,  and  a  plan  shot  like  lightning 
through  her  mind.  She  would  tell  this  man  everything  and  he  would 
help  her.  She  knew  he  would,  and  she  knew  also  that  he  would  not 
be  blind  to  his  own  advantage.  Her  mind  was  quickly  made  up. 
The  four  little  eggs  the  Good  Fairy  had  given  her  were  packed  in  a 
little  box.  Taking  this  from  the  folds  of  her  dress  she  took  one  of 
them  and  threw  it  on  the  floor. 

'  I  am  Florine  I '  she  said.     '  And  I  want  your  willing  help.' 

The  head  valet  stared  at  her  in  dismay.  Then  his  face  changed. 
He  bowed  to  her  with  the  utmost  respect,  and  said :  '  Princess,  I 
am  your  faithful  slave ;  command  me  and  I  will  obey.' 

'  First,  then,'  said  Florine,  '  do  not  give  the  Prince  the  draught 
to-night ;  and  find  me  an  apartment  next  to  his.' 

'  It  shall  be  done,'  replied  the  valet,  and  with  a  low  bow  he 
withdrew  to  make  the  arrangement. 

'  Stay  ! '  cried  Florine  as  he  was  going.  '  I  forbid  you  to  tell  the 
Prince  a  word  of  this.  You  understand  ? ' 

'And  obey,'  he  replied,  bowing  again  and  again  as  he  left  her 
presence,  walking  backwards  in  respect  to  high  royalty. 

That  night  the  Prince,  impatient  to  forget  the  face  of  Truitonne, 
called  for  his  sleeping-draught.  The  head  valet  appeared,  bearing  a 
flavoured  mixture  in  a  crystal  goblet  on  a  golden  tray.  The  Prince 
drank  it.  By  its  taste  it  was  the  draught,  but,  by  its  effect,  it  was 
not.  No  sleep  came  to  him,  and  the  face  of  Truitonne  grew  uglier 
and  uglier  in  his  mind.  Presently  he  started  up. 

'  What  sound  was  that  ? ' 

It  came  from  the  next  apartment — the  sound  of  a  woman  weep 
ing.  He  listened,  and  in  the  stillness  of  the  palace  the  sound  came 
clearly.  He  knew  that  voice :  it  was  the  voice  of  his  dear  Princess 
Florine,  just  as  he  used  to  hear  it  when,  as  a  Blue  Bird,  he  spoke 
with  her  at  her  window. 

In  a  moment  he  arose  and  dressed  himself  in  his  royal  robes. 

92 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

While  he  was  doing  this,  Florine  in  the  next  room  took  another  egg 
from  the  box,  and,  throwing  it  upon  the  floor,  cried  :  '  I  wish  that, 
by  storm  and  lightning,  all  that  is  evil  and  ugly  in  this  palace  shall 
be  destroyed,  and  all  that  is  good  and  beautiful  left.' 

As  she  spoke  the  rising  wind  wailed  about  the  palace  and  died 
away ;  dull  thunder  reverberated  in  the  distance.  The  air  grew 
stifling,  and  the  night  flowers  paid  their  perfumes  out  like  threatened 
debtors.  Another  rush  of  wind,  then  silence  broken  only  by  a  peal 
of  thunder  nearer  than  before.  The  splash  of  heavy  drops  was  heard 
on  the  flagstones  of  the  courtyard  below.  The  lightning  was  seen  to 
flash  through  the  windows,  and  the  thunder  shook  the  castle  to  its 
foundations. 

Nearer  and  nearer  loomed  the  storm,  growing  more  terrific 
every  moment.  Every  one  was  up  and  running  about  in  panic. 
Those  with  ugly  souls  and  bodies,  if  their  consciences  were  also 
wicked,  went  mad  in  the  panic,  and  fled  in  a  body  from  the  palace, 
thinking  the  end  of  the  world  had  come.  But  those  whose 
consciences  were  clear,  whose  hearts  were  true — those  who  could 
never  be  called  ugly,  no  matter  what  they  looked  like — they  sought 
the  Prince  and  gathered  round  him,  while  the  palace  shuddered  as 
all  the  storm  gods  poured  out  their  wrath. 

As  the  panic-stricken  ones  fled  towards  the  hills,  Florine  looked 
out  at  the  window  and  saw  them,  a  rushing  group  with  terror  in 
their  heels.  There  came  a  vivid  flash  of  lightning,  and  the  thunder 
split  and  rolled  and  crashed.  When  Florine  looked  again  she  saw 
no  fugitives  :  they  had  disappeared  for  ever.  Then,  as  suddenly  as 
it  had  begun,  the  storm  abated.  The  thunder  rolled  away  into  the 
distance,  and  the  moon  came  out  and  rode  from  cloud  to  cloud 
triumphant. 

There  was  a  knock  upon  the  door.  It  was  the  Prince,  and 
behind  him  were  gathered  his  own,  the  good  and  true,  according 
to  her  wish.  How  could  she  meet  him  in  her  peasant's  garb? 
A  quick  thought  came  to  her.  She  took  the  third  egg  and 
smashed  it  on  the  floor,  saying:  'I  wish  that  I  may  come  face  to 

M2  93 


THE  BLUE  BIRD 

face  with  my  Prince  in  all  the  dazzling  splendour  that  befits  a 
princess.' 

Instantly  there  was  a  flash  as  if  a  fairy  wand  had  cleft  the  air. 
And  there  stood  Florine,  the  most  splendidly  royal  figure  you  could 
imagine.  She  was  beautiful  beyond  words — so  beautiful  that  the 
wonderful  jewels  in  her  hair  and  on  her  lovely  dress,  on  her  neck 
and  arms  and  tiny  shoes,  could  never  have  got  their  beauty  from 
any  one  but  her. 

She  opened  the  door,  and  stepped  back  with  a  cry  of  delight. 
As  she  did  so,  she  placed  her  hand  to  her  breast  where  she  felt  the 
frail  little  box  that  contained  the  fourth  and  last  egg. 

In  another  moment  she  was  in  the  Prince's  arms,  and  the 
pressure  of  that  embrace  crushed  the  box  and  broke  the  egg. 

'  I  wish,'  she  cried  on  the  instant,  raising  her  lips  to  his,  '  I 
wish  that  you  will  love  me  for  ever  1 ' 


BASHTCHELIK 


BASHTCHELIK  (OR,  REAL  STEEL) 

A   SERBIAN    FAIRY   TALE 

THE  aged  Tsar  was  dying,  and  his  three  sons  and  three  daughters 
were  standing  round  his  bed.  He  had  yet  strength  to  give  his  last 
commands,  which  were  extraordinary. 

'  It  is  my  will,  O  my  sons,'  he  said,  '  that  you  give  my  daughters 
in  marriage  to  the  first  suitors  that  come  to  demand  them.  Question 
me  not,  but  fulfil  to  the  letter  this,  my  last  injunction.  If  you  fail, 
my  curse  will  fall  upon  you.' 

These  were  the  Tsar's  last  words  before  he  died.  It  was  approach 
ing  the  hour  of  midnight  when  he  passed  away ;  and,  when  the  dawn 
found  his  sons  and  daughters  weeping  for  grief,  they  were  startled 
by  a  dreadful  noise.  Came  a  loud  beating  against  the  palace  gates, 
and  instantly  an  awful  tempest  sprang  up  around  the  palace.  Peal 
on  peal  of  thunder  roared,  and  vivid  lightning  flashed.  The  whole 
place  rocked  and  swayed  and  trembled  to  its  foundations.  Then 
above  the  fearful  din  came  a  loud  voice :  '  In  the  name  of  a  King, 
open  the  gates  ! ' 

'  Do  not  open  1 '  cried  the  eldest  brother. 

'  See  to  it  that  you  do  not  open ! '  insisted  the  younger  one. 
But  the  youngest  disregarded  them  both,  and  rushed  to  the  gates. 

'  Tis  I  will  open ! '  he  flung  back  to  them  as  they  followed  at  his 
heels.  '  Though  the  earth  dissolve,  what  have  we  to  fear  ?  We  have 
done  no  wrong! ' 

With  this  he  flung  the  gates  wide.  There  was  no  one  there, 
but  a  sizzling  light  moved  in  towards  them,  and,  out  of  the  heart  of 
it  came  a  clear,  cold  voice  : 

'  I  have  come  to  demand  the  hand  of  your  eldest  sister  in 

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BASHTCHELIK 

marriage.  Forbid  me  not.  I  await  your  consent,  but,  if  you  refuse, 
it  will  be  at  your  peril.' 

The  eldest  brother  answered  at  once,  without  a  glance  at  the 
other  two  :  '  It  is  unheard  of  I  I  cannot  see  you  ;  I  do  not  know  you  ; 
who  is  to  know  where  or  how  you  will  bestow  my  sister?  I  might 
never  see  her  again.'  He  turned  to  the  younger  one  and  added, 
'  What  say  you,  brother  ? ' 

'  For  my  part,  I  will  not  consent/  replied  he  readily.  '  I  like 
not  these  signs  of  ill  omen.' 

Then  they  both  turned  to  the  youngest. 

'  What  say  you,  little  brother  ? ' 

He  was  quick  to  answer : 

'  I  obey  my  father,  and  counsel  you  to  do  the  same.  It  is  not 
that  I  fear  his  curse,  but  I  love  him,  and  will  obey  his  wish.' 

Without  waiting  for  any  reply  he  ran  within,  and  soon  returned, 
leading  his  eldest  sister  by  the  hand. 

'  Here,'  said  he,  '  offering  her  to  the  unseen  visitant,  '  in  accord 
ance  with  the  custom  of  my  country  and  the  dying  wish  of  my  father, 
I  give  you  my  sister  for  your  wedded  wife.  May  she  be  faithful 
to  you.' 

The  Princess  was  then  taken  by  an  invisible  hand  and  led  away ; 
and,  as  she  stepped  across  the  threshold  of  the  palace  gates,  a 
tremendous  clap  of  thunder  burst  overhead ;  the  lightning  flashed 
again,  and  the  whole  earth  rocked  at  the  sound  and  sight  of  it ;  and, 
at  terror  of  it,  the  courtiers  who  had  gathered  round  fell  on  their 
faces  and  prayed  for  deliverance  with  all  their  might. 

When  the  sun  rose,  the  palace  was  still  astir.  None  had  slept, 
so  none  had  dreamed ;  therefore,  when  eyes  met  eyes,  the  truth  was 
known :  a  terrible  thing  had  happened,  but  none  knew  how  it  had 
happened.  All  sought  to  find  some  clue  to  explain  the  disappearance 
of  the  eldest  Princess,  but  there  was  no  clue  to  the  midnight 
mystery  of  the  thing. 

And  on  tne  second  night  the  same  terrible  thing  occurred  again. 
The  palace  was  stormed  by  thunder  and  lightning  till  its  foundations 

96 


BASHTCHELIK 

quaked.  Then,  above  all,  came  another  commanding  voice :  '  Open 
the  gates  immediately — in  the  name  of  a  King ! ' 

Again  the  elder  brother  demurred,  and  again  the  youngest 
admitted  the  invisible  but  powerful  applicant,  and  bestowed  upon 
him  the  second  sister. 

'  I  trust  she  will  be  loyal  and  faithful  to  you/  he  said ;  and,  as 
she  stepped  over  the  threshold,  the  elements  roared  like  a  great  lion 
glutting  on  his  prey.  And  still,  to  the  courtiers  who  stood  by,  the 
mystery  of  the  thing  was  greater  than  their  fear  of  the  quakings  of 
the  earth  and  the  sudden  gasps  of  icy  air  that  smote  them. 

Again,  on  the  third  night,  while  the  youngest  sister,  who  was 
very  proud,  was  preparing  to  reject  a  suitor  promised  by  her  brothers, 
a  greater  storm  than  ever  swept  up  about  the  palace,  and,  to  hear  it, 
one  would  have  thought  that  half  the  world  were  rolling  down  a  hill. 
It  was  terrific,  and  still  more  terrific  was  a  voice  that  cried  :  '  Open 
these  gates,  in  the  name  of  a  King  who  comes  on  his  own  business  ! ' 

As  before,  the  two  elder  brothers  demurred,  but  the  youngest 
was  more  obedient  to  his  father's  dying  wish.  He  bestowed  the 
youngest  sister  upon  the  first  to  seek  her  hand.  And,  as  she  stepped 
over  the  threshold,  the  whole  palace  trembled  and  fluttered  as  if 
disturbed  by  the  wings  of  a  thousand  giant  eagles. 

The  two  elder  brothers  mourned  and  grieved  for  their  sisters, 
saying  they  were  lost  for  ever.  How  could  they  see  them  again  ? 
How  could  they  visit  them  ?  They  were  gone — swallowed  up  in  the 
invisible. 

'  It  is  not  so,'  said  the  youngest.  '  We  have  fulfilled  our  father's 
command.  We  have  done  no  wrong;  though  the  skies  fall  down, 
what  have  we  to  fear?  Follow  me  forth:  we  will  go  and  search 
for  them  1 ' 

And  so,  not  knowing  what  had  befallen  their  sisters,  nor  whom 
they  had  married,  they  set  out  to  search  far  and  wide  for  them. 

After  journeying  for  some  days,  they  reached  a  wild,  inhospitable 
country,  where,  in  a  mighty  forest  so  dense  they  could  see  neither  the 
sun  by  day  nor  the  stars  by  night,  they  lost  their  way.  But  still 

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BASHTCHELIK 

they  pushed  on,  hoping  to  find  an  outlet.  At  last,  after  wandering 
for  days,  they  came  at  sunset  to  a  small  lake,  where  they  prepared 
to  pass  the  night. 

The  eldest  watched  while  the  two  younger  brothers  slept. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night,  while  his  brothers  slept  soundly,  he 
was  gazing  upon  the  waters  of  the  lake,  watching  the  moonbeams 
play  with  the  ripples  stirred  by  the  soft  night  wind,  when  he  saw  a 
great  black  head  appear  on  the  surface  and  rapidly  approach  the 
shore  where  he  was  standing.  Presently,  as  the  monster  emerged 
from  the  water,  he  found  himself  face  to  face  with  a  great  alligator 
rushing  upon  him  to  devour  him. 

Like  lightning  he  drew  his  sword  and  smote  the  alligator 
between  the  eyes,  cleaving  its  head  in  one  mighty  stroke.  Then, 
when  it  had  ceased  its  death  struggles,  he  cut  off  both  its  ears  and 
placed  them  in  his  haversack. 

As  his  brothers  still  slept  he  resolved  to  say  nothing  about  the 
matter,  and,  to  this  end,  he  rolled  the  carcase  of  the  alligator  down 
the  shelving  shore  into  the  water,  where  it  sank  like  lead.  At  sun 
rise  he  roused  his  brothers,  and,  with  few  words,  they  resumed  their 
wandering. 

After  three  days  struggling  through  the  forest,  they  came  to 
another  lake,  where  they  camped  for  the  night.  This  time  the 
second  brother  watched,  while  the  eldest  and  the  youngest  slept. 

And  he,  too,  had  a  strange  adventure,  but  more  terrible  than  that 
the  eldest  brother  had  encountered.  At  midnight  the  waters  of  the 
lake  began  to  move,  and  a  great  alligator  with  two  heads  emerged 
and  came  up  on  the  shore.  Then,  with  both  mouths  wide  open  and 
his  long  sharp  teeth  gleaming  in  the  moonlight,  the  monster  rushed 
at  the  watcher  and  the  sleepers.  But  the  watcher  sprang  forward, 
sword  in  hand,  and  dealt  two  terrific  blows,  one  on  each  head,  killing 
the  alligator  instantly.  Then  he  cut  off  the  four  ears  and  placed 
them  in  his  haversack,  and  rolled  the  huge  carcase  back  into  the  lake. 
As  the  eldest  brother  had  done,  he  kept  the  matter  to  himself,  and 
let  his  brothers  sleep  on. 


BASHTCHELIK 

In  the  morning  he  aroused  them,  and  they  all  set  out  again  on 
their  wandering. 

During  that  day  they  came  to  the  edge  of  the  forest,  but  only  to 
find  a  vast  desert  before  them.  Their  hearts  sank  within  them,  but, 
nothing  daunted,  they  set  forth,  saying  one  to  the  other,  '  There  is 
no  desert  that  has  no  boundaries.  We  shall  come  to  the  other  side.' 

But  for  three  whole  days  they  journeyed  on,  and  all  was  still 
desert  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see ;  and  their  food  and  water  were 
exhausted,  and  they  were  sore  distressed.  Then,  as  they  saw  that 
the  forest  had  no  end,  they  cried  to  God  to  deliver  them.  And  it 
seemed  that  the  haze  of  the  desert  lifted,  and  they  saw  before  them  a 
lake,  calm  and  peaceful.  On  its  shore  they  would  spend  the  night. 

Having  refreshed  themselves  from  its  waters,  and  eaten  of  some 
luscious  fruits  that  grew  upon  its  margin,  they  made  their  camp  ;  and 
this  time  the  youngest  brother  watched  while  the  other  two  slept. 

And  he,  also,  had  an  adventure,  but  far  more  terrible  than  either 
of  his  brothers  had  encountered.  As  they  were  sleeping  soundly, 
and  he  was  looking  at  the  still  surface  of  the  lake,  something  heaved 
up  out  of  the  depths  and  swam  rapidly  towards  him.  When  it  came 
up  out  of  the  water  he  saw  that  it  was  a  monstrous  alligator,  with 
three  heads.  As  it  advanced  upon  him,  with  all  three  mouths  wide 
open,  ready  to  devour  him  and  his  sleeping  brothers,  he  sprang  to 
meet  it,  and,  with  three  mighty  strokes  like  flashes  of  lightning, 
severed  the  three  heads  from  the  body.  Then  he  cut  off  the  six  ears 
and  placed  them  in  his  haversack.  As  the  other  two  brothers  had 
done,  he,  also,  kept  the  matter  to  himself. 

It  was  not  yet  dawn,  and  the  fire  was  burning  low.  In  order  to 
replenish  it  the  young  Prince  went  into  the  surrounding  desert  to  look 
for  fuel.  After  searching  for  some  time  in  vain,  he  mounted  a  rock 
and  looked  around ;  and  there,  not  very  far  away,  he  saw  the  gleam 
of  a  fire.  He  ran  towards  it,  knowing  he  should  find  some  fuel.  But, 
when  he  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  fire  was  burning,  he  found 
the  glare  of  it  came  from  within  a  large  cave.  Creeping  forward 
cautiously,  he  peered  in,  and  saw  a  strange  sight.  The  fire  was 

99 


BASHTCHELIK 

blazing  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  round  it  sat  nine  giants, 
eating  the  flesh  of  human  beings,  whose  limbs  they  drew  from  a  huge 
cauldron  over  the  fire. 

Horrifying  was  this  sight  to  the  Prince.  He  made  up  his  mind 
to  trick  the  giants.  He  advanced  boldly  into  the  cave  and  gave  them 
greeting. 

'  Good-morrow,  my  friends/  he  cried  jauntily  ;  '  I  Ve  been  search 
ing  for  you  everywhere.' 

'  Good-morrow,  friend  1 '  replied  the  biggest  of  the  giants.  '  And, 
if  you  're  indeed  one  of  us,  you  will,  of  course,  join  us  in  our  feast, 
and  then  help  us  in  our  search  for  more.' 

'  With  every  pleasure  I '  cried  the  Prince  ;  '  indeed,  I  need  hardly 
thank  you  for  the  kind  invitation,  since  I  am  at  all  times  ready  to 
assist  you  in  your  hunting  expeditions.  I  have  a  rare  tooth  for  the 
flesh  of  mortals,  and  the  bigger  they  are  the  better  I  like  them.' 

The  giants  looked  at  one  another  and  grunted  approvingly. 
Then  said  the  chief:  '  Since  you  are  with  us,  what  is  your  name?' 

'  I  am  Nine  Man  Mord,'  replied  the  Prince,  taking  the  name  of 
that  hero  of  a  far  land  who  had  slain  nine  men  in  so  many  strokes 
of  his  sword.  '  I  have  journeyed  from  the  North  and  have  come  to 
dwell  among  you,  and  be  one  of  you.' 

They  were  all  astonished,  for  they  had  heard  wonderful  stories 
of  Nine  Man  Mord ;  and  they  seemed  to  forget  that  they  themselves 
were  nine. 

'  Come,  Nine  Man  Mord  I '  they  cried ;  '  come,  sit  and  eat 
with  us.' 

Readily  the  Prince  took  his  place  among  them ;  but,  though  it 
seemed  to  them  that  he  ate  of  the  human  flesh,  he  did  not  really  do 
so.  While  pretending  to  eat,  he  told  them  such  tales  of  his 
adventures  in  the  far  country  that  none  of  them  noticed  he  was  not 
eating,  but  disposing  of  the  flesh  cunningly,  sometimes  by  throwing  it 
behind  him,  and  again  by  offering  a  tit-bit  to  one  or  another  in  token 
of  friendship. 

When  the  feast  was  over,  the  giants  rose  and  stretched  themselves. 

100 


BASHTCHELIK 

'Now,'  said  the  biggest  one,  'we'll  go  a-hunting.  There's 
always  to-morrow's  feast  to  be  thought  of.  We  go,  O  Nine  Man 
Mord,  to  the  Tsar's  city.  There  is  still  good  flesh  to  be  got  there, 
though  we  have  been  feeding  on  it  for  many,  many  years.  And,  I 
may  tell  you,  as  the  prey  is  not  so  plentiful  as  it  used  to  be,  it 
affords  all  the  better  sport  in  the  taking.' 

'  I  'm  with  you,'  replied  the  Prince,  '  and,  maybe,  I  can  show  you 
a  trick  or  two.' 

So  they  set  out  and  journeyed  together — the  nine  giants  and  the 
Prince — till  they  came  to  the  outskirts  of  a  large  and  beautiful  city. 
Here,  in  the  surrounding  forest,  the  giants  plucked  up  two  great  trees 
by  the  roots,  and  took  them  to  the  city  walls,  where  they  placed  one 
tree  as  a  ladder. 

Then  the  chief  giant  said  to  the  Prince:  'O  Nine  Man  Mord, 
climb  by  this  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  and  then  we  will  pass  the  other 
tree  up  to  you  so  that  you  can  fix  it  as  a  ladder  on  the  other  side  for 
all  of  us  to  descend  by.' 

The  Prince  climbed  the  tree-ladder ;  and,  when  he  had  reached 
the  top  of  the  wall  they  pushed  the  other  tree  up  to  him. 

'  Now,'  he  called  down,  '  I  don't  quite  know  how  you  want  it 
placed.  Will  one  of  you  come  up  and  show  me  ? ' 

In  answer  to  this  the  chief  himself  climbed  up  and  swung  the 
tree  over  roots  first,  while  he  held  and  steadied  it  by  its  topmost 
branches.  At  this  moment  the  Prince,  unseen  by  the  others,  drew 
his  sword,  and,  with  one  stroke,  hewed  off  the  giant's  head.  It  fell 
within  the  city  walls,  and,  in  another  second,  the  headless  body  went 
tumbling  after  it. 

'  Now,'  he  cried  down  to  the  others,  '  it 's  all  fixed,  and  your 
chief  has  gone  down.  Come  up  one  by  one,  and  I  will  hold  the  tree 
for  you,  and  steady  it,  so  that  you  can  reach  the  ground  quickly.' 

And  they  came  up  one  by  one ;  and,  one  by  one,  off  went  their 
heads ;  and  they,  and  their  bodies  after  them,  reached  the  ground 
very  quickly.  Then  he  climbed  down  the  tree,  and  over  the  piled 
carcases  of  the  nine  giants,  and  made  his  way  into  the  city. 

101 


BASHTCHELIK 

It  was  true  what  the  giants  had  said  ;  for,  although  the  sun  had 
not  yet  risen,  signs  were  not  wanting  that  the  city,  if  not  deserted, 
was  very  thinly  inhabited.  The  streets  were  neglected ;  the  houses 
for  the  most  part  were  falling  to  decay ;  and  though,  no  doubt,  those 
who  remained — if  any — feared  a  visit  from  the  man-eating  giants, 
still  no  watch  was  set,  and  the  Prince,  as  he  made  his  way  through 
the  streets,  saw  no  one. 

At  last,  as  he  went  on,  he  espied  a  high  tower,  and,  at  one 
of  its  windows,  there  was  a  light.  He  made  his  way  to  this  tower, 
and  quickly  ran  up  the  stairs  leading  to  the  room  that  contained  the 
light.  At  last,  seeing  its  rays  through  the  crack  of  the  door,  he 
turned  the  handle  and  entered. 

A  strange  sight  met  his  gaze  as  he  stood  a  moment  on  the 
threshold.  It  was  a  splendid  apartment  of  velvet  and  gold,  magnifi 
cently  decorated ;  but  what  immediately  riveted  his  eyes  was  the 
figure  of  a  beautiful  princess  sleeping  upon  a  richly  furnished  couch. 
She  was  lovely  to  look  upon  ;  and,  as  he  advanced  into  the  room,  he 
could  see  nothing  but  her.  Presently,  however,  a  hiss  greeted  his 
ears ;  and,  looking  up,  he  was  startled  to  see  a  huge  snake  lying  on 
the  ledge  above  the  couch,  with  its  arched  neck  bent  down  ready  to 
strike  the  sleeping  girl. 

With  a  loud  cry  the  Prince  tried  to  attract  its  attention ;  then, 
as  it  raised  its  head,  he  snatched  his  dagger  from  his  belt,  and,  with 
one  blow,  pinned  its  head  to  the  wall. 

'  Hold  wood  !  Hold  dagger ! '  he  cried,  releasing  the  hilt.  '  None 
can  draw  that  blade  from  the  wall  but  him  who  planted  it  there  I ' 

Then,  without  waking  the  beautiful  maiden,  he  stole  from  the 
room  and  went  back  over  the  city  wall,  and  beyond,  till  he  came 
again  to  the  giants'  cave,  where  he  quickly  gathered  some  fuel  and 
hurried  back  to  his  brothers,  whom  he  found  still  sleeping.  When 
he  had  set  the  fire  in  a  blaze,  he  watched  till  the  hour  of  sunrise,  and 
then  woke  them  with  a  loud  cry : 

'  Arouse  ye,  my  brothers  ;  the  day  is  here  I ' 

But  he  told  them  nothing  of  his  adventures  of  the  night. 

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BASHTCHELIK 

When  they  set  out  they  came  very  soon  to  a  high-road  that  led 
to  the  gates  of  the  Tsar's  city.  Now  it  was  the  daily  practice  of  the 
Tsar  to  walk  in  the  ways  of  the  city  for  an  hour  after  sunrise,  and 
bewail  the  death  of  those  of  his  people  who  had  perished  by  the 
hands  of  the  giants,  and  also  to  pray  fervently  that  his  own  daughter 
would  never  so  perish.  So  it  was  that  on  this  same  morning  he 
came,  by  his  wanderings  through  empty  streets,  to  the  part  of  the 
wall  where  the  tall  tree-ladder  was  standing ;  and,  as  he  drew  near, 
he  saw  with  amazement  the  great  bodies  of  the  giants  lying  on  the 
ground,  each  with  his  head  severed  from  his  body. 

When  the  Tsar  saw  this  he  raised  his  hands  to  high  heaven  and 
cried,  '  This  is  a  great  day,  for  the  giants  are  all  slain ! '  And  the 
people,  who  still  remained  to  him,  hearing  his  cry  of  joy,  came 
running,  and  gathered  about  him,  praying  that  God  would  preserve 
the  mighty  one  who  had  done  this  astonishing  deed.  They  were 
still  praising  the  unknown  hero,  when  some  attendants  came  running 
swiftly  from  the  palace,  to  tell  the  Tsar  that  a  great  snake  had  almost 
succeeded  in  killing  the  Princess. 

At  this  he  hastened  back  and  made  his  way  to  the  room  in  the 
tower  where  the  Princess  was  lying  asleep ;  and  there  he  found  the 
snake  pinned  to  the  wall  by  a  dagger.  At  once  he  took  the  hilt  in 
his  hand  and  tried  to  drag  it  from  the  wall,  but,  to  his  great  wonder, 
it  resisted  all  his  efforts. 

On  this,  seeing  the  great  strength  of  the  hero  who  had  planted 
the  dagger  there,  and  knowing  that  none  but  he  could  have  the 
strength  to  remove  it,  he  ordered  a  proclamation  to  be  issued 
throughout  the  whole  kingdom :  that,  if  the  man  who  had  killed  the 
nine  giants  and  pinned  the  head  of  the  snake  to  the  wall  with  his 
dagger,  would  come  and  draw  his  dagger  forth  again,  he  would  be 
rewarded  with  splendid  gifts  and  receive  the  Princess  in  marriage. 

Far  and  wide  went  this  proclamation,  but  the  Tsar,  to  make 
doubly  sure,  posted  a  thousand  officials  at  as  many  inns  on  the  great 
high-roads  that  connected  the  city  with  the  outlying  parts  of  the 
kingdom.  And  these  officials'  duty  was  to  question  travellers,  and 

103 


BASHTCHELIK 

learn  whether  they  had  met,  or  heard  of,  any  such  hero  as  he  who 
had  killed  the  giants  and  transfixed  the  snake.  Rewards  were 
offered  to  any  who  could  supply  information,  and  punishments  were 
held  out  to  those  who  concealed  it. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  the  three  Princes,  in  their  search  for 
their  sisters,  chanced  to  rest  at  an  inn  on  one  of  the  high-roads  ;  and, 
when  they  had  finished  supper,  they  fell  into  conversation  with  an 
interesting  stranger — a  courtly  man  of  cities,  with  manners  that  are 
only  learnt  in  kings'  palaces.  He  begged  to  be  allowed  to  call  for 
wine, — which  in  those  days  was  no  offence, — and,  as  they  drank 
their  toasts,  he  fell  to  narrating  his  wonderful  exploits  in  a  far-off 
kingdom — so  far-off,  indeed,  that  imagination  alone  could  reach  it, 
and  no  other  traveller  could  ever  return  to  tell  a  different  tale. 

After  describing  some  heroic  combats  the  stranger  at  last 
remarked,  '  And  what  may  be  the  doughty  deeds  that  you  young 
heroes  have  set  to  your  credit  ?  ' 

At  this  the  eldest  brother  told  how  he  had  slain  the  alligator ; 
and,  to  vouch  for  the  truth  of  his  story,  showed  the  two  ears  he  had 
preserved,  placing  them  before  the  stranger. 

When  the  unknown  had  applauded  his  story  the  younger 
brother  told  how  he  had  slain  the  alligator  with  two  heads,  and  threw 
down  on  the  table  the  four  ears  as  evidence. 

The  stranger  applauded  more  loudly  than  before,  and  then 
turned  to  the  youngest  brother ;  but  he  remained  silent. 

'  Come,'  said  the  stranger,  coaxing  him  ;  '  your  brothers  have 
performed  great  exploits  :  have  you  not  followed  their  example  ? ' 

Then  the  young  Prince  replied  :  '  I  am  only  young ;  but,  now  I 
think  of  it,  I  did  kill  an  alligator  once,  myself.  It  was  a  rather 
ferocious  beast  in  its  way,  and  had  three  heads ;  but  I  managed  to- 
well,  here  are  its  ears.'  And  he  threw  the  six  ears  on  the  table. 

At  this  his  two  brothers  were  as  much  astonished  as  the 
stranger ;  for,  though  he  was  the  youngest,  he  had  done  the  bravest 
deed.  The  official — for  such  was  the  stranger — then  begged  the 
young  Prince  to  tell  of  his  other  exploits.  So  the  hero  told  how  he 

104 


THE  STORY  OF  BASHTCHELIK 

The  Prince,  looking  out,  saw  him  snatch  up  the  Princess 
....     and  soar  rapidly  away. 


[See  page  108 


BASHTCHELIK 

had  slain  the  giants.  This  was  enough  for  the  official :  he  sprang 
up  and  hastened  away  to  the  palace,  where  he  informed  the  Tsar 
that  he  had  found  the  mighty  hero  for  whom  every  one  was 
searching. 

The  Tsar  was  delighted  ;  and  having  rewarded  the  official,  sent 
for  the  Princes  in  all  haste.  When  they  arrived,  he  bade  them  tell 
all  they  had  been  through,  and  listened  to  their  adventures  with  all 
attention.  And,  when  they  had  finished,  he  turned  to  the  youngest 
brother  and  said :  '  Your  exploits,  young  sir,  are  the  most  extra 
ordinary  of  all  I  have  heard.  But  all  of  you  follow  me  to  the  tower ; 
I  would  make  certain — quite  certain  ! ' 

Beckoning  the  three  brothers  to  follow  him,  he  led  the  way ; 
and,  finally,  they  reached  the  room  where  the  youngest  had  pinned 
the  snake's  head  to  the  wall. 

The  couch  was  empty,  but  the  snake  and  the  dagger  were  still 
there,  just  as  the  young  Prince  had  left  them. 

Then  said  the  Tsar,  addressing  the  eldest :  '  Draw  forth  the 
dagger ! ' 

The  eldest  brother  seized  the  hilt,  and  put  forth  all  his  strength  ; 
but  the  dagger  did  not  move. 

Then  said  the  Tsar :  '  It  is  so.     Let  your  younger  brother  try.' 

His  words  were  obeyed  ;  but  the  dagger  was  immovable. 

Then  said  the  Tsar  :  '  It  is  so.     Let  the  youngest  try.' 

His  words  were  obeyed.  The  youngest  Prince  took  the  hilt, 
and,  with  a  mighty  wrench,  tore  it  from  the  wall ;  then,  as  he 
restored  it  to  its  sheath  at  his  side,  the  snake  fell  at  his  feet. 

'It  is  so ! '  said  the  Tsar.  '  It  was  your  hand  saved  my 
daughter's  life.  I  will  give  her  to  you  in  marriage,  and  you  shall  be 
my  Prime  Minister.'  Then,  to  the  two  elder  Princes,  he  said :  '  If 
you  would  prefer  to  remain  with  your  brother  in  my  country  I  will 
bestow  two  ladies  of  the  land  upon  you  for  wives,  and  give  you 
suitable  castles  to  live  in.' 

But,  though  the  youngest  accepted  the  Tsar's  offer  with  a  proud 
pleasure,  the  other  two  excused  themselves  with  thanks,  saying  that 
N  105 


BASHTCHELIK 

it  was  only  right  for  their  brother  to  remain,  but,  for  themselves, 
their  duty  was  to  carry  out  the  quest  for  their  lost  sisters. 

The  Tsar  honoured  their  refusal,  and,  having  given  orders  that 
they  should  be  escorted  from  the  city  with  every  mark  of  royal 
favour,  bade  them  farewell ;  and  they  departed  the  richer  by  two 
asses  laden  with  gifts  of  gold  and  silver  and  precious  stones. 
Shortly  afterwards,  the  youngest  Prince  and  the  Princess  were 
married ;  and  the  whole  city  rejoiced  for  three  days  with  great 
celebrations. 

But  the  Prince,  much  as  he  loved  his  wife,  soon  began  to  blame 
himself  for  accepting  this  great  happiness  so  easily  when  the  quest 
of  his  lost  sisters  was  his  first  duty.  On  this  account  he  began  to 
pine,  and  the  Princess  could  not  comfort  him. 

One  day,  when  his  grief  threatened  to  sink  him  in  remorse,  the 
Tsar  came  to  him  with  a  bunch  of  nine  keys  in  his  hand,  and  said : 
'  My  son  ;  I  am  going  forth  to  the  hunt ;  but  you  remain,  and,  with 
these  keys,  you  may  open  some  delights  while  I  am  absent.' 

Then  he  took  him  and  showed  him  the  doors  of  nine  rooms  of 
the  palace,  assuring  him  he  would  find  great  joy  in  the  first  four,  a 
more  hidden  joy  in  the  next  three,  and,  in  the  eighth,  a  summing  up 
of  all  the  joys  in  the  four  and  the  three ;  but — the  ninth  he  must 
not  enter ;  for,  what  was  there,  no  man  could  endure. 

When  the  Tsar  had  gone  to  the  hunt,  the  young  Prince  opened 
the  doors  one  by  one,  and  he  was  truly  amazed  at  what  was  revealed 
to  him.  The  first  four  led  him  to  all  the  delights  of  earth  ;  the  next 
three  to  all  the  delights  of  heaven  ;  and  the  eighth  to  the  Great  Joy 
of  Earth  and  Heaven  in  one. 

And  now  he  stood  at  the  door  of  the  ninth. 

'What  is  here?'  said  he.  'What  is  here  that  is  denied  me?  I 
have  slain  the  three-headed  alligator ;  I  have  hewed  off  the  heads  of 
nine  giants  ;  I  have  vanquished  the  serpent  that  encircles  the  world, 
and  rescued  the  Princess  from  his  lowering  fangs.  Surely  the  Tsar  is 
testing  me !  Come  what  may,  I  will  enter  at  this  door ;  for  he  who 
does  not  go  on,  slides  back.' 

1 06 


BASHTCHELIK 

With  this  he  selected  the  key ;  and,  inserting  it  in  the  lock, 
opened  the  ninth  door,  and  entered.  What  an  unexpected  sight  was 
there  I  The  joys  of  the  four,  the  three,  and  the  eighth — were  they  at 
last  bound  up  in  this? — this  man  with  the  strength  of  the  under 
world  in  his  limbs,  the  strength  of  the  mid-world  in  his  set  face,  and 
the  strength  of  the  skies  in  his  calm  gaze  beneath  tortured  brows? 

There,  before  him,  was  a  man,  bound,  it  seemed,  by  all  the  bonds 
of  the  universe.  His  legs  were  encircled  with  bands  of  iron,  which, 
at  their  fastenings  into  the  floor,  were  rusted.  His  hips  and  loins 
were  bound  with  lead.  A  copper  girdle  held  his  breast.  A  silver 
band  enthralled  his  tongue  and  hands,  and  what  seemed  like  a 
spider's  web  of  thin,  light-blue  wire  encircled  his  body  and  gathered 
itself  in  a  circlet  of  the  same  woven  material  upon  his  brows.  Truly, 
if  ever  a  man  was  fast  bound,  this  man  was ;  for,  in  addition  to  all 
these  things,  there  was  a  ring  of  gold  round  his  neck,  and  from  it 
extended  thick  cables  of  platinum,  which  were  firmly  riveted  into 
four  strong  beams,  one  in  each  corner  of  the  room.  Around  him, 
on  the  eight  sides  of  the  room,  were  open  windows  revealing  all  the 
joys  of  the  eight  chambers ;  but  the  man  was  bound  in  the  centre. 

And,  as  the  Prince  looked  upon  him,  the  captive  gasped,  'O 
young  man,  for  the  love  of  God,  bring  me  a  cup  of  water  from  yonder 
fountain  ;  and  I,  in  return,  will  give  thee  another  life.' 

The  Prince  at  once  drew  him  the  draught  from  the  nearest 
fountain,  thinking  the  while  that  it  would  be  good  to  have  a  life  to 
spare.  Then,  when  the  chained  captive  had  drunk  the  water  eagerly, 
the  two  looked  at  one  another. 

'  What  is  your  name  ? '  asked  the  Prince. 

'My  name  is  Bashtchelik,  which,  as  you  know,  means  "real 
steel."'  ' 

'  Farewell,  then,  Bashtchelik  ;  I  hear  the  hoof-beats  of  the  Tsar's 
horses  in  the  distance.'  And  he  turned  towards  the  door. 

'  Nay,  leave  me  not !  '  cried  Bashtchelik,  and  then  he  implored 
him :  '  Give  me  a  second  cup  of  water,  and  I  will  give  you  a  second 
life.' 

107 


BASHTCHELIK 

The  Prince  drew  him  another  cup  of  water  and  handed  it  to  him 
with  a  good  heart,  thinking,  as  it  was  returned  to  him  empty,  that  a 
second  life  was  well  worth  having.  Then,  hearing  the  approach  of 
the  Tsar  more  distinctly,  he  bade  farewell  a  second  time  and  turned 
away;  but  the  captive  again  besought  him. 

'  O  mighty  one  1  he  cried  ;  '  do  not  leave  me.  I  know  thee,  I 
know  thy  name ;  I  know  thy  noble  deeds.  Twice  hast  thou  given 
me  to  drink ;  I  pray  thee,  do  it  yet  a  third  time  and  I  will  give  thee 
a  third  life.' 

Hastily  the  Prince  filled  the  cup  and  gave  him  to  drink,  for  the 
Tsar  and  his  company  were  now  at  the  gates,  and  he  knew  not  how 
to  face  him.  But,  before  he  could  gain  the  door,  he  heard  a  crash 
behind  him ;  and,  looking  back,  he  saw  that  the  captive  had  broken 
his  bonds  and  stood  free.  Then,  before  one  could  say  it  had  happened, 
he  had  loosed  a  great  pair  of  wings  from  his  sides,  and  rushed  through 
the  doorway.  The  Prince,  looking  out,  saw  him  snatch  up  the 
Princess,  his  wife,  from  the  terrace  of  the  Palace,  and  soar  rapidly 
away. 

Ere  the  beating  of  wings  was  lost  in  the  distance,  the  Tsar  came 
in  and  demanded  to  know  why  the  ninth  room  was  open  and  the 
captive  gone.  The  Prince  then  explained  everything,  and  begged 
the  Tsar  not  to  be  angry. 

'  He  broke  his  bonds,'  he  said,  '  and  has  gone,  taking  my  wife — 
the  daughter  that  you  gave  me — away  with  him.  But  give  me  leave, 
and  I  will  find  her  and  kill  Bashtchelik.' 

'  Alas ! '  replied  the  Tsar,  '  you  have  done  a  rash  thing.  You 
know  not  this  man.  I  lost  the  best  part  of  a  whole  army  in  capturing 
him.  What  can  you  do,  my  son  ? ' 

'  I  will  go  forth  and  seek  him,'  replied  the  Prince  without 
wavering.  '  If  he  is  stronger  than  I,  then  you  will  see  neither  me 
nor  my  wife  again  ;  but,  if  I  prevail,  we  will  return  to  you.' 

So  the  Prince  set  forth  on  his  quest ;  and  after  three  days' 
journey,  he  came  to  a  beautiful  city.  And,  as  he  rode  beneath  the 

108 


BASHTCHELIK 

walls  of  a  castle,  he  heard  a  voice  from  a  window  high  in  the  tower, 
calling  to  him.  He  drew  rein  and  dismounted ;  then,  as  he 
advanced  into  the  courtyard,  a  girl  came  running  towards  him. 

'  O  my  brother ! '  she  cried  ;  '  you  have  come  at  last  I ' 

It  was  his  eldest  sister  whom  he  had  found  so  easily.  They 
embraced  and  kissed,  and  then  she  led  him  into  the  castle. 

'And  your  husband?'  he  asked  as  they  stepped  aside  into  a 
dimly-lighted  antechamber;  'who  and  what  is  he?' 

'  He  is  the  Dragon  King,'  she  replied  in  a  whisper ;  '  and  he  is 
no  friend  of  my  brothers.  Yet  I  will  hide  you,  and  then  ask  him 
what  he  would  do  if  you  sought  me  out.' 

That  evening,  when  the  Dragon  King  came  home  on  whirring 
wings,  there  was  no  sign  of  either  the  Prince  or  his  charger.  Yet  he 
raised  his  nostrils  in  the  air  and  sniffed. 

'  I  smell  a  human  being,'  he  said.  '  Confess,  woman ;  who 
is  it?' 

'  No  one,'  replied  she.  But  he  was  certain  about  the  matter, 
saying  that  his  senses  had  never  yet  deceived  him,  though  a  woman 
might. 

'  That  is  nought,'  said  she.  '  But,  tell  me ;  if  my  brothers  came 
to  look  for  me,  how  would  you  take  it  ? ' 

'  If  your  eldest  brother  came  here,'  replied  the  Dragon  King,  '  I 
would  eat  him  raw.  Your  second  brother  I  would  stew  gently  over 
a  slow  fire,  or,  if  he  were  nice  and  fat,  I  should  roast  him  to  a  turn  ; 
but  your  youngest  brother — him  I  would  spare.' 

Then  said  she,  '  O  King,  my  youngest  brother,  who  is  your 
brother-in-law,  is  here  in  your  castle.  I  will  summon  him.' 

It  was  a  great  meeting  between  the  young  Prince  and  the 
Dragon  King.  One  would  have  thought  that  they  had  known  each 
other  for  years.  They  embraced  and  wished  each  other  health  and 
long  life ;  and  then  they  sat  down  to  a  sumptuous  banquet  quickly 
brought  in  by  winged  attendants,  who  were  evidently  of  the  un 
educated  dragon  classes  ; — indeed,  though  richly  attired,  they  looked 
like  slaves. 

109 


BASHTCHELIK 

In  the  course  of  conversation  the  Prince  happened  to  mention 
that  he  was  on  the  track  of  one  Bashtchelik,  who  had  run  off  with 
his  wife  against  her  will. 

'  Bashtchelik  I '  exclaimed  the  Dragon  King.  '  My  dear  brother, 
I  beseech  you,  seek  him  not.  This  kingdom  itself  put  out  five 
thousand  strong,  and  took  him  unawares.  But  he  escaped  by  a 
trick,  gave  battle  to  ten  thousand  of  my  picked  dragons,  fought  his 
retreat  to  the  mountains,  and  so  escaped  triumphant.  Man  to  man 
— you  against  Bashtchelik — you  cannot  hope  to  win.  If  you  will  go 
back  to  your  home,  I  will  give  you  an  escort  and  three  asses  laden 
with  gold.' 

'  Three  asses  laden  with  gold  I '  said  the  Prince.  '  I  thank  you 
much,  but  I  have  better  than  that :  I  have  three  lives,  which  I  won 
from  Bashtchelik  himself.  I  will  seek  him  and  reclaim  my  wife.' 

The  Dragon  King  wondered  at  his  words ;  then,  plucking  a 
feather  from  his  wing,  he  said,  '  You  are  determined,  and  I  wish  you 
well.  Take  this  feather,  and,  if  at  any  time  you  want  my  aid,  burn  it 
and  I  will  come  to  you  instantly  with  ten  thousand  chosen  dragons.' 

The  Prince  thanked  him,  and  placed  the  feather  in  his  girdle. 
The  next  morning  he  took  leave  of  his  sister  and  the  Dragon  King, 
and  set  out  in  search  of  Bashtchelik. 

He  left  the  city  and  crossed  a  desert,  where  he  endured  fatigues 
and  encountered  perils ;  but  still,  by  his  strong  right  arm,  he  pre 
served  his  three  lives.  Then,  at  last,  he  came  to  a  city ;  and,  as  he 
took  the  mainway  of  it,  the  same  thing  happened  as  before.  It  was 
a  woman's  voice  calling  from  a  castle  tower :  '  O  Prince  I  Dismount 
and  come  in  hither ! ' 

Again  he  made  his  way  into  a  courtyard,  and  again  he  was  met 
by  a  woman — his  second  sister — who  greeted  him  with  joy.  Soon 
she  led  him  into  her  boudoir,  and  immediately  he  asked  :  '  My  sister, 
who  is  your  husband  ? ' 

1  He  is  the  Eagle  King,'  said  she. 

Then,  as  it  had  happened  with  the  Dragon  King,  so  it  happened 
with  the  Eagle  King.  He  came  whirring  home  from  a  great  height, 

no 


BASHTCHELIK 

and,  by  the  artfulness  of  his  wife,  he  met  and  embraced  the 
young  Prince;  for,  though  the  Eagle  King  would  have  pecked  out 
the  livers  of  the  elder  brothers,  he  was  glad  to  meet  the  youngest. 
A  feast  was  spread,  and,  afterwards,  the  talk  led  on  to  Bashtchelik. 

'  Bashtchelik  I '  cried  the  Eagle  King.  '  Young  man,  will  you 
listen  to  me?  Once  we  battered  him  with  ten  thousand  pairs  of 
wings  and  assailed  him  with  ten  thousand  beaks,  but  he  triumphed. 
For  one  man  to  go  up  against  him  is  as  a  thistledown  attacking  a 
whirlwind.  Do  nought.  Stay  with  me:  I  will  give  you  all  you 
desire.' 

But,  as  the  Prince  held  fast  to  his  purpose,  the  Eagle  King 
plucked  a  feather  from  his  wing  and  gave  it  him. 

'  If  you  are  in  sore  straits,'  he  said,  '  burn  this  feather,  and,  on 
the  instant,  I  will  come  to  your  aid  with  ten  thousand  eagles.' 

Then  the  Prince,  thanking  the  Eagle  King,  set  forth  once  more. 
And,  in  his  further  journeying,  he  again  came  to  a  city,  and  heard, 
beneath  a  castle  wall,  a  woman's  voice  calling  to  him. 

It  was  his  youngest  sister.  She  also  contrived  to  bring  him 
face  to  face  with  her  husband,  the  Falcon  King,  who  warned  him 
strongly  against  Bashtchelik,  and  gave  him  a  feather  from  his  wing 
in  case  of  need. 

After  a  long  search  and  many  adventures,  the  Prince  at  last 
found  his  wife,  standing  at  the  mouth  of  a  large  cave.  She  was 
much  surprised  to  see  him,  and  ran  forward  to  embrace  him.  He 
then  told  her  all  he  had  done  since  their  parting,  and  she  clung  to 
him  in  great  joy. 

'  Now,  dear  wife,"  he  said  at  last ;  '  now  that  I  have  found  you, 
we  will  go  together  to  your  father's  palace.' 

'  But  Bashtchelik  ! '  she  exclaimed. 

'  Bashtchelik  is  not  your  husband,'  he  replied ;  '  I  am  your 
husband.' 

'  Yes,  yes  ;  but  if  we  flee,  beloved,  Bashtchelik  will  surely  follow 
us.  His  rage  would  be  terrible,  and  I  should  lose  you  for  ever,  and 
find  a  frightful  punishment.' 

in 


BASHTCHELIK 

'  Nay,  nay ;  I  am  your  husband,  and  I  will  protect  you  ;  come  ! ' 
Then  he  added  to  himself,  '  She  does  not  know  I  have  three  lives 
now,  and  I  doubt  whether  Bashtchelik  could  kill  me  three  times.' 

So  they  fled  together.  But,  some  hours  later,  Bashtchelik  .re 
turned  from  hunting  and  found  the  Princess  had  gone.  From  same 
footprints  outside  the  cave  he  gleaned  that  she  had  not  gone  alone, 
and  instantly  guessed  that  her  husband  had  carried  her  off.  With  a 
cry  of  rage  he  sprang  into  the  air,  and  began  to  fly  round  the  cave  at 
terrific  speed,  and  in  ever-widening  circles. 

The  sun  was  low  down  on  the  Western  horizon  when  the  Prince, 
riding  hard  with  his  wife  on  the  saddle-bow,  heard  a  whirring  sound 
in  the  sky  and  looked  up. 

'  Hasten  I '  cried  the  Princess  in  alarm  ;  '  it  is  Bashtchelik.  If 
we  can  reach  the  shelter  of  yonder  forest  he  may  not  see  us.' 

But  hardly  had  she  spoken  when  an  angry  cry  from  afar  fell  on 
their  ears.  Bashtchelik  had  seen  them — seen  her  long,  yellow  hair 
floating  on  the  breeze  and  gleaming  like  gold  in  the  rays  of  the 
setting  sun.  He  swerved  and  swooped  downwards,  and,  madly  as 
they  rode  for  the  edge  of  the  forest,  he  was  upon  them  by  the  time 
they  reached  the  outskirts. 

Alighting  on  the  ground,  he  tore  the  Princess  from  the  Prince's 
arms,  and  cried  out  in  sorrowful  anger,  '  O  Prince,  I  gave  you  three 
lives  out  of  gratitude  to  you,  but,  if  you  attempt  to  steal  your  wife 
again,  I  will  kill  you.'  And  with  this  he  mounted  in  the  air  with 
the  Princess,  and  soon  disappeared  in  the  distance,  leaving  the  Prince 
lost  in  wonder  at  the  suddenness  of  it  all. 

Nevertheless  he  was  not  to  be  beaten.  He  returned  to  the  cave 
under  cover  of  night,  and,  having  concealed  his  steed,  crept  forward 
and  hid  himself  near  the  cave,  to  wait  until  Bashtchelik  should  go 
forth  to  the  hunt. 

And  he  was  not  disappointed.  Soon  after  the  sun  rose,  Bash 
tchelik  came  out  from  the  cave,  bearing  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  went 
in  search  of  prey.  Then,  when  he  was  out  of  sight,  the  Prince  dashed 
into  the  cave,  took  his  wife  and  rode  away  with  her.  But  again  ere 

I  12 


THE  STORY  OF  BASHTCHELIK 
The  Palace  of  the  Dragon  King. 


[See  page  109 


BASHTCHELIK 

sunset  they  heard  the  whir  of  wings  ;  and  again  Bashtchelik  snatched 
the  Princess  from  the  Prince's  arms.  And  this  time  he  placed  an 
arrow  on  his  bowstring  and  drew  it  to  the  full. 

'  O  Prince,'  he  said,  '  I  give  you  your  choice  :  will  you  die  by 
arrow  or  sabre  ? ' 

'  By  sabre,'  said  the  Prince,  feeling  for  his  own. 

'  Nay,  nay  I '  returned  Bashtchelik,  relenting.  '  Because  I  gave 
you  three  lives,  I  pardon  you  a  second  time ;  but,  if  you  attempt  to 
steal  your  wife  again,  I  shall  slay  you  without  a  thought.' 

But  the  Prince,  as  he  watched  Bashtchelik  fly  away  with  his 
wife,  was  not  daunted.  '  I  wish  he  would  stay  to  fight,  said  he ; 
'but  maybe  he  will  next  time,  for  I  shall  certainly  take  her 
again.' 

And  he  did.  And  again  they  were  overtaken.  On  this  occasion 
it  was  nowise  different,  save  that  when  Bashtchelik  forgave  the 
Prince  it  was  in  angry  and  threatening  tones,  before  bearing  the 
Princess  away. 

Having  failed  three  times,  the  Prince  rode  sadly  homewards. 
But  he  had  not  gone  far  when  he  bethought  him  of  the  three  feathers 
given  him  by  his  brothers-in-law,  and  of  their  promises  of  help.  He 
reined  in  his  steed,  and  turned  and  galloped  back.  He  would  beard 
Bashtchelik  in  his  cave,  and  then  give  battle,  with  three  armies  at  his 
call,  if,  perchance,  this  powerful  foe  should  seem  to  prevail. 

When  he  reached  the  cave  it  was  an  hour  after  sunrise.  He 
leapt  from  his  steed  and  entered  without  knocking.  There  was  a  fire 
burning  within,  and  his  wife  sat  by  it  with  her  head  on  her  hand, 
thinking.  She  sprang  up  at  the  sound  of  his  footstep. 

'  You  ! '  she  cried.  '  Ah  !  my  beloved,  you  are  in  unseemly  haste 
to  quit  this  life,  since  you  come  for  me  a  fourth  time.' 

'  Listen  to  me,'  he  said ;  '  for  you  are  my  wife,  and  none  shall 
keep  you  from  me.'  Then  he  showed  her  the  three  feathers,  and 
explained  to  her  that  they  were  pledges  of  help  in  time  of  need.  He 
placed  them  in  her  hand,  and  gave  her  also  the  burning-glass  he  used 
for  kindling  a  fire,  and  said :  '  Do  not  burn  them  until  you  see  the 
o  113 


BASHTCHELIK 

combat  is  going  against  me.  He  will  certainly  follow  us,  but,  this 
time,  I  think  he  will  fight.' 

The  Princess  seemed  to  agree  to  his  wish,  and,  soon  afterwards, 
they  set  out  and  rode  rapidly  away. 

It  was  high  noon  when  they  heard  the  whir  of  wings  and  knew 
they  were  followed.  Bashtchelik  approached  at  a  great  speed,  and 
they  saw  his  sabre  flashing  in  the  sun.  The  Prince  drew  rein  and 
dismounted  ;  then,  drawing  his  weapon,  he  advanced  to  meet  his  foe. 
But,  ere  their  sabres  clashed,  the  Princess,  fearful  for  her  husband's 
life,  had  taken  the  burning-glass  and  pinned  the  sun's  rays  to  the 
feathers.  A  tiny  curl  of  blue  smoke  arose,  and  then  they  burst  into 
flame. 

Instantly — ere  yet  the  heart  could  beat  twice — there  was  a  shrill 
chord  of  three  sounds,  and  as  many  colours  shimmered  like  lightning 
in  the  air.  Then  as  the  feathers  blazed,  came  dragon  hosts  upon  the 
plain ;  flaming  eagles  flocked  in ;  and  the  Falcon  King  with  his 
myriads  swooped  down.  Bashtchelik  was  surrounded  on  three 
sides,  but  he  dealt  a  mighty  stroke  at  the  Prince's  heart ;  and  then, 
seeming  invincible,  fought  his  way  through  with  much  slaughter  and 
gained  the  side  of  the  Princess.  Before  she  knew  it  she  was  caught 
up,  and  Bashtchelik  was  bearing  her  on  rapid  wings  away. 

But  the  Prince?  Among  the  thick  of  the  slain  the  three  kings 
— his  brothers-in-law — found  him  dead  1  But  they  took  thought 
together  as  to  how  they  might  recall  him  to  life,  and  at  last  decided 
to  send  for  some  water  from  the  Jordan.  They  summoned  three  of 
the  swiftest  dragons  and  asked  how  long  it  would  take  to  fetch  it. 
'Half  an  hour  I'  said  the  first.  'Ten  minutes!'  said  the  second; 
but  the  third  said  at  once,  '  Nine  seconds  1 ' 

So  they  dispatched  him  ;  and,  like  a  flash,  he  winged  his  fiery 
flight,  returning  in  nine  seconds  with  the  water  from  the  Jordan. 
With  this  they  bathed  the  Prince's  wounds,  and  they  healed  up  at 
once ;  and  lo,  he  rose  up  alive  and  well,  but  with  only  two  lives  left 
to  him. 

'  Venture  not  again,'  was  the  counsel  of  the  three  kings.  '  Go 

114 


BASHTCHELIK 

not  forth  against  Bashtchelik,  for  he  is  perfect  steel,  the  mightiest  of 
all ;  and  none  can  conquer  him  :  he  has  all  Force  behind  him.' 

But  the  Prince  would  not  accept  their  words  of  warning. 
'  Force  is  not  the  strongest  thing,"  he  said.  '  Force  is  hard  as  steel, 
yet  it  can  be  overcome  by  the  will  of  Love,  which  is  so  soft  that  it 
melts  at  a  touch.  In  that  I  go  forth  again  to  conquer  Bashtchelik, 
and  regain  my  wife.' 

They  could  not  restrain  him,  but,  ere  he  went,  they  counselled 
him  again :  '  Since  you  are  willing  to  risk  all,  you  must  go ;  but 
think  not  that  by  mighty  blows  you  can  conquer  Bashtchelik.  Get 
speech  with  your  wife,  and  bid  her  learn  from  him,  by  a  woman's 
wit,  wherein  the  secret  of  his  strength  lies.  Then  come  and  tell  us ; 
and,  with  that  knowledge,  we  can  help  you  to  slay  him.' 

The  Prince  agreed,  and  parted  from  them.  Making  his  way 
very  cautiously  to  the  cave,  he  waited  till  Bashtchelik  had  gone  forth 
to  the  hunt,  and  then  entered  and  found  his  wife,  and  bade  her  glean 
from  Bashtchelik  the  secret  of  his  strength.  Then  he  returned  to 
his  place  of  concealment. 

That  evening,  when  Bashtchelik  returned  to  the  cave,  the 
Princess  praised  his  great  strength  and  flattered  him  mightily 
upon  it. 

'Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,'  she  said  at  last,  'wherein  thy  great 
strength  lieth,  and  wherewith  thou  mightest  be  bound  ;  for ' — with  a 
laugh — '  I  would  fain  bind  thee  with  my  hair.' 

Bashtchelik  laughed,  well  pleased  at  her  words.  '  Wouldst 
thou  know  it  ? '  said  he.  '  My  strength  is  in  my  sword  ;  were  that 
taken  from  me  I  should  then  be  weak,  and  be  as  another  man.' 

The  Princess  then  bowed  down  before  his  sword  and  did 
homage  to  it,  and  sang  a  great  song  of  joy  that  all  power  on  earth 
was  in  the  sword.  But,  on  hearing  this,  Bashtchelik  laughed,  and 
laughed  again,  saying,  '  Foolish  one  I  my  real  strength  lies  no  more 
in  my  sword  than  in  its  scabbard.' 

'  Then,'  said  she,  '  thou  hast  mocked  me.  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee, 
wherein  thy  strength  lieth.' 

"5 


BASHTCHELIK 

'  In  my  bow  and  arrows,'  replied  he.  And  at  once  the  Princess 
bowed  down  and  did  homage  to  his  bow  and  arrows,  singing  their 
praise:  how  swift  their  flight  through  the  air,  how  true  their  aim, 
how  deadly  their  piercing  points. 

But  Bashtchelik  laughed  again,  and  again,  and  again. 

'  Foolish  one  1 '  said  he.  '  My  real  strength  lies  not  in  my  bow, 
nor  in  my  arrows.  But,  tell  me,  why  do  you  seek  to  know  the  secret 
of  my  strength  ? ' 

'  Because  I  am  a  woman ;  and  was  there  ever  a  woman  who 
loved  a  man  and  did  not  want  to  know  his  secret?' 

'  Ay — to  know  it,  and  to  impart  it  to  others.' 

1  Nay,  nay  ;  to  know  it  is  enough.  Tell  me,  I  pray  thee,  and 
tell  me  truly,  wherein  the  secret  of  thy  great  strength  lieth.' 

At  this  he  was  much  distressed,  and,  thinking  that  the  Princess 
believed  her  husband  dead,  he  hoped  at  last  to  win  her  love ;  and  so 
he  told  her. 

'  Listen  to  me,'  said  he.  '  Far  away  in  a  high  tableland  in  the 
interior  of  this  country  there  is  a  mountain  reaching  up  to  the  sky, 
and  rooted  far  down  into  the  earth.  In  a  spot  of  that  mountain — in 
a  den  where  a  serpent  lies  asleep — there  is  a  fox,  and  in  its  heart 
there  hides  a  bird.  That  bird  is  the  storehouse  of  my  strength. 
One  flutter  of  its  wings  would  scatter  a  whole  army  ;  one  beat  of  its 
heart  would  shake  the  whole  world — if  the  fox  so  willed  it.  But  the 
will  of  the  fox  is  over  mine,  and  what  strength  I  have  comes  from  the 
bird  through  the  will  of  the  fox.  And  that  fox  is  the  hardest  thing 
in  the  world  to  catch  :  it  can  take  any  shape  it  likes.  So,  now,  you 
know  all.' 

'  You  have  told  me  truly  ? ' 

'  I  do  not  laugh  :  I  have  told  you  truly.' 

Then  the  Princess  dallied  with  him,  giving  ear  to  his  tales  of 
terror  and  triumph.  But,  when  he  had  supped  and  fallen  asleep,  she 
stole  out  and  told  the  Prince  all  about  it.  And  he,  bidding  his  wife 
farewell,  rode  off  in  haste  to  tell  his  brothers-in-law.  When  they 
heard  his  news  they  called  up  their  forces — the  dragons,  the  eagles, 

1x6 


BASHTCHELIK 

the  falcons — and  proceeded  forthwith  against  the  mountain  on  the 
high  tableland. 

By  certain  signs  the  Prince  discovered  the  den  of  the  sleeping 
serpent,  and  there  they  surprised  the  fox,  who,  seeing  the  vast  array 
on  the  sides  of  the  mountain  and  on  the  plain,  quickly  took  refuge 
in  flight.  But  a  host  of  eagles  and  falcons  tore  after  him  and  over 
took  him  near  a  great  lake.  Here  he  changed  himself  into  a  duck 
with  six  wings,  and  dived  and  disappeared.  Presently,  far  away  on 
the  lake,  they  saw  him  reappear  on  the  surface,  and  rise  from  the 
water,  and  wing  his  way  up  into  the  clouds.  Immediately  the 
dragons  gave  chase,  and  the  eagles  and  falcons  strove  to  encircle 
the  swift-winged  bird.  Finally,  seeing  no  way  of  escape,  the  duck 
swooped  to  earth,  and  changed  again  into  a  fox.  Then  the  pursuers 
pounced  and  caught  him. 

The  three  kings  then  consulted  together  and  decided  to  cut 
open  the  fox  and  take  its  heart  out.  This  was  soon  done ;  then  they 
built  a  great  fire  and  threw  the  heart  into  it.  And,  as  it  burned, 
they  saw  a  bird  fly  from  it  through  the  flames  and  fall  scorched  at 
their  feet.  Now,  as  they  gazed  upon  it,  it  changed  rapidly,  growing 
in  size  and  altering  in  shape,  until  at  last  there  lay  before  them  the 
body  of  Bashtchelik,  his  wings  all  burnt  and  his  body  charred. 

So  this  monster  perished,  and  the  Prince  regained  his  long- 
lost  bride. 


02 


THE    FRIAR    AND    THE    BOY 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

AN    ENGLISH    FAIRY   TALE 

'You  good-for-nothing  boy,  you!  It's  always  meal-times  when 
you  come  home :  that 's  all  you  care  about  here.  Look  at  the  knees 
of  your  trousers ;  why,  playing  marbles  in  the  street  with  all  the 
other  filthy  little  brats  is  about  all  you  're  fit  for.  How  d'  you  think 
I  'm  going  to  spend  all  my  time  patching  up  your  holes  and  tatters? 
Drat  you  !  Get  out  of  it  and  wipe  your  boots  before  you  come  into 
a  clean  kitchen.  I  Ve  been  all  the  afternoon  tidying  up  for  the  good 
Friar's  visit  this  evening,  and  now  you ' 

'  Hang  the  good  Friar ! '  said  Jack  under  his  breath,  for  he  was 
sick  and  tired  of  his  stepmother's  sour  tongue,  and  more  than  sick 
and  tired  of  the  good  Friar,  who,  he  knew,  was  only  '  good '  when  he 
was  not  feeling  well.  Taking  a  fairy-tale  book  from  the  shelf  he 
went  and  sat  in  the  inglenook,  thus  sheltering  himself  from  a  further 
storm  of  abuse  from  his  stepmother. 

The  fact  of  the  matter  was,  that  thrice  upon  a  time  his  father 
had  married.  Jack,  a  merry-hearted  boy,  and  lovable  for  all  his 
mischief,  was  his  son  by  his  first  wife.  The  other  two  had  no 
children,  and  the  stepmother  now  living  seemed  to  resent  the  fact  of 
Jack's  existence.  His  father  loved  him  dearly,  but,  when  the  father 
was  away,  Jack  had  a  sore  time  with  his  sour-tempered  stepmother. 
No  wonder  he  only  came  home  to  meals ;  no  wonder  he  preferred  his 
fairy-tale  book  to  her  venomous  tongue. 

When  supper-time  came,  Jack  was  always  summoned  to  his 
food  well  in  time  for  it  to  be  cleared  away  before  his  father  came  in ; 
and  the  reason  for  this  was  that  his  father  should  not  see  how  he 
was  stinted. 

119 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

But  one  day  the  father  got  to  know  about  these  things,  and 
taxed  his  wife  on  her  treatment  of  the  boy. 

'  Look  here,  sir,'  said  she,  '  I  wish  to  goodness  you  would  take 
your  wretched  son  away  and  put  him  in  a  school  for  saints,  since  you 
think  he  is  so  good.  As  for  me,  he  plagues  my  life  out,  and,  if  you 
keep  him  here  with  his  ne'er-do-well  ways,  you  '11  come  home  some 
evening  to  find  me  gone.' 

Instead  of  beating  his  wife  for  these  words — as  some  men  do 
when  their  wives  so  beseech  them — the  goodman  put  his  hand  on 
her  shoulder  and  said,  '  Nay,  nay,  my  dear ;  the  boy  is  only  a  boy ; 
let  him  stay  with  us  another  year  until  he  can  fend  for  himself. 
Now,  I  '11  tell  you  what :  let  the  man  who  looks  after  the  sheep  come 
in  here  and  do  the  work  about  the  house,  and  Jack  will  take  his 
place  in  the  field.  The  man  can  have  Jack's  bed,  and  Jack  will  be 
delighted  to  sleep  in  the  outhouse.  What  say  you  ? ' 

The  wife  could  not  object  to  this,  for,  at  least,  the  man  would  be 
more  useful  and  less  troublesome  about  the  house  than  Jack  could 
ever  be.  So  she  agreed  to  her  husband's  proposal. 

The  next  day  the  plan  was  put  into  operation. 

The  man  was  set  to  work  about  the  house,  and  Jack  was  sent 
out  into  the  fields  to  mind  the  sheep.  As  he  went  he  sang  merrily, 
for  he  loved  the  green  fields  and  the  animals.  He  doubted  the 
dinner  his  stepmother  had  put  up  for  him,  wrapped  in  a  kitchen 
clout ;  yet  he  sang  merrily  as  he  went  in  search  of  the  sheep: 

'  Green  gravel !     Green  gravel  I 

Thy  grass  is  so  green. 
*Tis  the  fairies  green  gravel 
With  the  daisies  between' 

Then,  when  he  had  found  them  : 

'  Snowy  sheepie-woolsides, 

Save  your  wool  for  me; 
Then  in  snowy  yuletides 
Snug  and  warm  /'//  be? 
1 20 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 
Then,  later,  when  he  began  to  get  hungry,  it  was : 

'  Sheepie,  wander,  wander 

All  the  fields  about ; 
Grass  is  growing  under, 

Clover  budding  out. 
My  mother  does  not  squander 

Cakes  on  me,  I  doubt ; 
What  is  here,  I  wonder, 

In  this  kitchen  clout  f ' 

And,  sitting  down  on  a  mossy  bank,  he  opened  the  clout  in 
which  his  stepmother  had  wrapped  his  dinner.  Lo  and  behold,  it 
was  dry  bread,  with  a  very  thick  layer  of  dripping  scraped  off  from  it 
back  into  the  pot.  He  ate  very  little,  thinking  that  surely  his  father 
would  give  him  something  nicer  to  eat  when  he  got  home. 

In  the  afternoon  he  sat  on  the  hillside  watching  the  sheep  and 
singing  merrily,  when  he  saw  an  aged  man  with  a  staff  making  his 
way  towards  him. 

'  God  bless  you,  son,'  said  the  aged  one. 

'  Good-morrow,  father,'  replied  the  boy.  '  You  are  weary.  Rest 
a  while  on  this  mossy  bank.' 

'Ay,  I  will,'  said  the  old  man,  sitting  down  beside  the  boy. 
'  You  speak  truly  :  I  am  weary,  and  hungry,  and  thirsty  too.  Have 
you  any  food  ?  And  would  your  young  legs  take  you  to  the  stream 
to  bring  me  back  a  draught  of  water? ' 

'  I  have  food,  such  as  it  is,'  replied  Jack  readily ;  and  he  offered 
him  the  dry  bread  and  scrape  that  his  stepmother  had  given  him. 
'As  for  water,  I  have  a  pannikin,  and  I  '11  soon  fill  it  at  the  stream.' 
And  with  that  he  hurried  off  to  fetch  the  water. 

When  he  returned,  and  the  old  man  had  eaten  and  drank,  he 
thanked  the  boy.  'God  love  you,  child,'  he  said;  'you  have  been 
kind  to  me.  And  now,  in  return,  I  am  minded  to  grant  you  three 
wishes  of  your  heart.  Think  well,  and  then  name  them ;  and  it  shall 
be  as  I  say.' 

121 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

Jack  thought  and  thought ;  but  all  he  could  decide  on  to  begin 
with  was  a  bow  and  arrow.  So  he  asked  for  that. 

'  Certainly ! '  said  the  old  man  ;  and,  rising,  he  went  behind  the 
bank,  and  presently  returned  with  the  bow  and  arrow,  which  he  gave 
to  the  boy. 

'  This  will  last  you  all  your  life,'  he  said ;  '  and  it  will  never 
break.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  draw  it  with  the  arrow  on  the  string, 
and  whatever  you  aim  at  will  fall,  pierced  by  the  arrow." 

Jack  was  delighted,  and,  in  order  to  test  it,  he  fixed  an  arrow  and 
let  it  fly  at  a  hawk  passing  overhead.  The  arrow  sped  and  pierced 
the  body  of  the  hawk,  which  came  down  plump  at  their  feet. 

At  this  Jack  considered  his  second  wish,  for  he  said  to  himself, 
'  An  old  man  who  can  give  me  a  bow  and  arrow  that  can  never  miss, 
can  give  me  almost  anything.'  Then  he  made  up  his  mind  and 
asked  for  a  pipe  on  which  to  play  tunes. 

'  I  have  always  wanted  a  pipe,'  he  said ;  '  I  would  like  one  so 
much,  no  matter  how  small  it  is.' 

Then  the  old  man  got  up  and  went  behind  the  bank,  and  came 
back  presently  with  a  beautiful  pipe,  which  he  gave  to  the  boy. 

'  It  is  a  strange  pipe,'  he  said.  '  When  you  play  upon  it  any 
one  besides  yourself  who  hears  the  music  must  dance,  and  keep  on 
dancing  till  the  music  stops.' 

Jack  thought  this  was  fine,  and  would  have  played  a  tune  there 
and  then,  but  he  looked  at  the  aged  man  and  saw  that  it  would  hurt 
him  to  dance ;  so  he  waited :  there  was  always  the  '  good  Friar '  to 
pipe  to. 

'  Now,  child,'  said  the  old  man  at  last,  '  what  is  your  third  and 
last  wish  ? ' 

Jack  pondered  a  long  time,  and  at  last  he  chuckled  and  clapped 
his  hands  with  glee.  When  the  old  man  asked  him  what  tickled  him 
so,  he  could  not  reply  at  once,  as  he  was  so  busy  enjoying  some  joke 
beforehand.  At  last,  when  he  was  able  to  speak,  he  said,  '  Father,  it 
has  just  crossed  my  mind  that  my  stepmother  is  always  looking  at  me 
sourly  and  always  scolding  me.  I  wish  that  when  she  does  this  she 

122 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

will  laugh,  and  go  on  laughing  till  I  give  her  the  word  to  stop.  Can 
you  grant  that  wish,  father  ? ' 

'  I  can,'  said  the  old  man  ;  'and  it  will  be  so.  When  she  looks 
at  you  sourly  or  speaks  to  you  crossly,  she  will  laugh  until  she  falls 
to  the  ground,  and  then  go  on  laughing  until  you  tell  her  to  stop.' 

When  Jack  had  thanked  him,  the  old  man  said  good-bye  and 
tottered  away,  leaning  heavily  on  his  staff.  Meanwhile  Jack  sat  and 
nursed  his  three  wishes,  feeling  as  gay-hearted  about  his  good  luck  as 
a  lambkin  with  three  tails. 

When  the  sun  set  at  last  and  his  day's  work  was  done,  he  rose 
and  trudged  homewards  in  great  glee.  As  he  went  he  played  his 
pipe,  and  all  the  sheep  and  cattle  and  horses  and  dogs  danced,  till  he 
left  off  for  laughing  at  the  sight  of  them  kicking  up  their  heels. 
Even  the  birds  and  the  bees  waltzed  in  the  air,  and,  as  he  crossed  a 
bridge,  he  saw  the  little  fishes  pirouetting  in  the  stream  below. 

As  soon  as  he  reached  home  he  put  the  pipe  away,  and,  going 
into  the  house,  found  his  father  at  supper. 

'  Father,'  said  he,  '  I  am  terribly  hungry  after  looking  to  the 
sheep  all  day ;  and,  besides,  my  dinner  was  very  dry.' 

'  Here  you  are,  my  son,'  replied  his  father ;  and,  cutting  a  wing 
from  the  roast  capon  on  the  table  before  him,  he  set  it  on  a  plate  and 
pushed  it  over  to  the  boy. 

At  this  the  stepmother,  grudging  to  see  such  a  nice  portion 
given  to  the  boy,  turned  upon  him  with  a  look  that  would  have  made 
a  cow  give  sour  milk.  Then,  on  the  instant,  she  burst  out  laughing. 
Her  husband  stared  at  her  in  amazement,  but  still  she  laughed,  her 
sides  shaking  with  her  shrill  peals  ;  and  louder  and  louder  she 
laughed,  until  the  rafters  shook  and  she  fell  to  the  ground,  still 
laughing  as  if  she  would  die  of  it. 

At  last  Jack,  with  his  capon's  wing  in  both  hands  before  him, 
stopped  eating  to  cry,  '  Enough,  I  say ! '  And  immediately  the 
stepmother  ceased  her  laughter  and  struggled  to  her  feet,  looking 
more  dead  than  alive. 

Now,  the  next  day,  when  Jack  was  minding  the  sheep,  the  good 

123 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

Friar  called  at  the  house,  and  the  stepmother  told  him  what  a  naughty 
boy  Jack  was,  and  how  he  had  made  her  laugh  till  she  had  nearly 
died,  and  then  mocked  her. 

'Go  you,  now,'  she  said;  'go  and  find  him  in  the  fields  and 
give  him  a  sound  beating  for  my  sake.  It  will  do  him  good — and 
me  too.' 

So  the  Friar  went  out  into  the  fields  and  at  last  found  the  boy, 
with  his  bow  and  arrow  in  his  hands. 

'Young  man,'  said  the  Friar,  'tell  me  at  once  what  you  have 
done  to  your  stepmother  that  she  is  so  angered  with  you.  Tell  me 
at  once,  I  say,  or  I  will  give  you  a  sound  beating.' 

'  What 's  the  matter  with  you  ? '  replied  Jack.  '  If  my  stepmother 
wants  me  beaten,  let  her  do  it  herself.  See  that  bird  ?  '  He  pointed 
to  a  very  plump  bird  flying  overhead.  '  If  you  fetch  it  when  it  drops, 
you  can  have  it.' 

With  this  he  let  fly  an  arrow  and  pierced  the  bird,  which  fell 
to  earth  a  little  way  off  in  a  bramble  patch.  As  the  Friar  darted 
forward  to  get  it — for  it  was  indeed  a  plump  bird — Jack  drew  forth 
his  pipe  and  began  to  play. 

It  is  said  that  he  who  hops  among  thorns  is  either  chasing  a 
snake  or  being  chased  by  one ;  and  it  looked  as  if  either  the  one  or 
the  other  was  the  Friar's  case,  for  he  hopped  high  in  the  bramble 
bushes  and  danced  as  if  he  had  gone  mad  in  both  heels  at  once. 

To  see  the  good  Friar  dancing  willy-nilly  among  the  bramble 
bushes,  kicking  up  his  heels  to  the  tune  of  the  pipe,  higher  still  and 
higher — oh,  it  was  a  sight  for  Jack's  eyes,  for  he  loved  the  Friar  to 
distraction  in  less  ways  than  one.  So  long  as  Jack  piped,  the  Friar 
danced.  His  dress  was  torn  to  shreds,  but  that  seemed  a  small 
matter.  The  thorns  did  admirable  work,  but  the  Friar  did  not  care. 
On  with  the  dance !  Tara-tara-tara-ra-ra — the  Friar  seemed  to  be 
enjoying  himself,  though  more  for  Jack's  benefit  than  his  own. 
Faster  and  faster  shrilled  the  pipe,  and  faster  danced  the  Friar,  until 
at  last  he  fell  down  among  the  brambles,  a  sorry  spectacle,  still 
kicking  his  feet  in  the  air  to  the  merry  rhythm.  Then  Jack 

124 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

ceased  piping,  but  only  to  laugh ;  for  he  had  small  pity  for  the 
Friar. 

'  Friend  Jack ! '  cried  the  Friar,  gathering  himself  up,  '  forbear,  I 
pray  you.  I  am  nigh  to  death.  Permit  me  to  depart  and  I  will  be 
your  friend  for  ever.' 

'  Get  up  and  go,  then,'  cried  Jack,  '  before  I  begin  to  play  again.' 

The  good  Friar  needed  no  further  permission.  What  remnant 
of  a  robe  was  left  him  he  gathered  up,  and  fled  to  his  own  home. 
There  he  clothed  himself  decently  and  made  all  haste  to  Jack's 
parents. 

When  they  saw  his  woebegone  countenance  they  questioned 
him  closely. 

'  I  have  been  with  your  son,'  he  replied.  '  Grammercy  I  By 
these  scratches  on  my  face,  and  by  others  you  cannot  see,  he  is  in 
league  with  the  Evil  One,  or  I  am  no  holy  Friar.  He  played  a  tune 
on  his  pipe  and  I  danced — danced ! — think  of  it !  And  all  in  the 
bramble  bushes  I  Your  son  is  plainly  lost ;  I  hesitate  to  think  what 
it  will  cost  you  to  save  his  soul  from  the  devil's  clutch.' 

'  Here  is  a  fine  thing,'  exclaimed  the  wife,  turning  to  her  husband. 
'  This  your  son  has  nearly  killed  the  holy  Father ! ' 

'  Benedicite ! '  said  the  good  man  fervently,  and  the  Friar 
wondered  for  a  moment  what  he  meant  exactly. 

When  Jack  returned  home  his  father  at  once  asked  him  what  he 
had  been  doing.  He  replied  that  he  had  been  having  a  merry  time 
with  the  good  Friar,  who  was  so  fond  of  music  that  he  could  dance  to 
it  anywhere — among  bramble  bushes  for  preference.  These  saints, 
of  course 

'  But  what  music  is  this  you  play  ? '  broke  in  his  father,  who  was 
growing  vastly  interested.  '  I  should  like  to  hear  it.' 

'  Heaven  forfend  ! '  cried  the  Friar,  getting  uneasy. 

4  Yes,  yes ;  I  should  like  to  hear  it,'  persisted  his  father. 

'  Then,  if  that  is  so,  and  you  must  hear  his  accursed  tune,  I  beg 
that  you  will  bind  me  to  the  door-post  so  that  I  cannot  move.  I 
have  had  more  than  enough  of  it.' 

"5 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

They  took  him  at  his  word  and  bound  him  securely  to  the  door 
post  ;  so  that  he  was,  so  to  speak,  out  of  the  dance  when  Jack  took 
his  pipe  and  began  to  play. 

Then  had  you  seen  a  merry  spectacle !  At  the  first  notes  the 
good  man  and  his  wife  began  to  tread  a  sprightly  measure,  while  the 
Friar,  bound  fast  to  the  post,  squirmed  and  wriggled,  showing  plainly 
that  he  would  foot  it  if  he  could,  and  dispense  with  the  brambles  for 
once. 

As  the  piping  went  on,  the  merry  measure  became  a  tarantelle. 
The  staid  old  folks  threw  off  their  age,  and  kicked  their  heels  high  in 
the  air.  Faster  and  faster  went  the  music  ;  wilder  and  wilder  grew 
the  dance.  The  Friar  burst  his  bonds  and  joined  in.  Nothing  was 
safe :  chairs  were  hustled  into  the  fire ;  the  table  was  pushed  this 
way  and  that,  and  the  lighted  lamp  upon  it  was  rocking. 

Seeing  the  fury  of  the  thing,  Jack  got  up  and  led  the  way  out 
into  the  street,  still  piping.  They  followed ;  the  neighbours  flocked 
out  and  joined  in  the  dance  ;  even  those  who  had  gone  to  bed  rushed 
down,  and  all  followed  at  Jack's  heels  down  the  village  street, 
dancing  madly  to  his  wild  piping.  People  jostled  and  fell  and  went 
on  dancing  on  all  fours,  but  the  Friar  kept  his  feet,  if  not  his  head, 
and  whirled  many  a  maid  into  the  thick  of  it. 

At  length,  when  they  had  reached  the  village  green,  and  the 
scene  had  become  one  of  indescribable  confusion  and  abandon, 
Jack's  father  drew  near  him  and  said,  as  he  whirled  by :  '  Jack  I  if 
you  have  any  consideration  for  your  poor  old  father,  for  heaven's 
sake,  stop ! ' 

Now  the  boy  loved  his  father ;  so,  on  hearing  these  words,  he 
ceased  his  piping.  Suddenly  all  came  to  a  standstill.  There  was  a 
rapid  melting  away  as  if  people  had  awakened  from  a  dream  in 
which  they  had  been  making  themselves  ridiculous.  And,  in  the 
midst  of  this,  came  forward  the  Friar  with  Jack's  stepmother  in  close 
attendance. 

'  That  cursed  boy  1 '  cried  he,  shaking  his  fist  at  Jack.  '  See 
here,  my  fine  fellow,  you  cannot  do  this  kind  of  thing  with  impunity. 

126 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

I  hereby  summon  you  before  the  Judge  next  Friday,  and  see  to  it 
that  you  appear  in  person  to  answer  the  charges  I  shall  bring  against 
you.' 

At  this  the  boy  raised  his  pipe  again  to  his  lips ;  but,  before  he 
could  blow  a  single  note,  they  had  all  taken  to  their  heels  in  dismay, 
leaving  him  standing  there  alone  in  the  empty  square. 

It  was  Friday,  and  the  Judge,  be-wigged  and  severe,  sat  on  the 
bench,  with  all  the  appearance  of  a  great  case  before  him.  The  Friar 
was  there  as  prosecutor  ;  the  King's  Proctor  was  watching  the  case — 
in  case ;  the  Public  Persuader  was  there  with  his  suave  and  well-paid 
manner,  admonishing  all  sides  ;  Jack's  parents  and  all  his  relations 
and  friends  were  there,  wondering  greatly  whether  Jack,  who  stood 
in  the  dock,  would  live  to  tell  the  tale  of  what  death  was  meted  out 
to  him. 

'  M'lud  I '  said  the  Friar  when  there  was  silence  in  court ;  '  I 
have  brought  before  you  a  wicked  boy  who,  by  associating  with  the 
Evil  One,  has  corrupted  the  manners  of  this  community,  and  brought 
sorrow  and  trouble  to  all.  Though  young  he  is  none  the  less  a 
wizard,  having  infernal  skill.' 

'  Ay,  that  he  is,'  put  in  the  stepmother.  '  He  is  in  league — in 

league '  But  she  got  no  further,  for,  in  a  trice,  she  was  laughing 

as  none  had  ever  been  known  to  laugh. 

The  Judge  was  scandalised. 

'  Woman  ! '  he  said.  '  This  Court  itself  has  been  known  to  laugh, 
but  this  behaviour  on  your  part  is  unseemly.' 

'  Stop  it ! '  said  Jack  from  the  dock,  and  he  spoke  short  and  sharp. 

She  ceased  immediately,  and  then  the  Judge  requested  her  to  tell 
her  tale ;  but  she  was  so  exhausted  that  the  Friar  had  to  tell  it  for 
her. 

1  M'lud,'  he  said,  '  it  is  simply  this  :  the  prisoner  here  has  a  pipe, 
and,  when  he  plays  upon  it,  all  who  hear  must  dance  themselves  to 
death,  whether  they  like  it  or  not.' 

'  Ah  I'  said  the  Judge,  '  I  should  like  to  hear  this  Dance  of  Death. 

127 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

You  have  heard  it,  good  father,  and  you  still  live.  Maybe,  when  I 
have  heard  it,  I  shall  be  charmed,  like  the  serpent,  and  come  out  to 
be  killed  at  once.  Let  him  play  his  music.' 

And,  with  this  remark,  the  Judge  sat  back,  while  Jack  took  up 
his  pipe  to  play. 

'  Stop  1  stop  I '  cried  the  Friar  in  dismay.  But  Jack  heeded 
not.  At  the  nod  of  the  Judge  he  started  up  a  merry  tune,  and 
immediately  the  whole  Court  began  to  imagine  itself  a  ballroom.  Set 
to  partners — cross — ladies'  chain — chasse"  I  It  was  a  regular  whirl  as 
the  boy  piped  faster  and  faster.  The  Judge  himself  leapt  down  from 
the  bench  and  joined  in,  holding  up  his  robes  and  footing  it  merrily. 
But,  when  he  bruised  his  shins  severely  against  the  clerk's  desk,  he 
yelled  for  the  boy  to  cease  piping. 

'  Yes,  I  will,'  cried  Jack,  and  as  he  paused  with  his  pipe  raised 
to  his  lips  they  all  waited  on  his  words :  '  I  will,  if  they  will  all 
promise  to  treat  me  properly  from  this  time  forward.' 

'  I  think,'  said  the  Judge,  '  if  you  will  put  your  pipe  away,  they 
will  consent  to  an  amicable  arrangement* 

Then  he  climbed  back  to  the  bench  and  sat  himself  down,  and 
put  on  his  considering  cap  to  pass  sentence. 

There  was  silence  in  court  for  some  minutes.  Then  came  in 
solemn  tones : 

'  Judgment  for  the  defendant — with  costs  1 ' 

And  so,  all  parties  being  satisfied,  the  Court  adjourned,  and  every 
one  went  home  to  supper  quite  happy. 


, 


THE  FRIAR  AND  THE  BOY 

The  Friar,  bound  fast  to  the  post,  squirmed  and  wriggled, 
showing  plainly  that  he  would  foot  it  if  he  could. 


ISee  page  126 


THE    GREEN    SERPENT 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

A   FRENCH    FAIRY  TALE 

THERE  was  once  upon  a  time  a  very  great  Queen  who  gave  birth  to 
little  twin  girls.  She  immediately  sent  out  invitations  to  twelve 
fairies  in  the  neighbouring  countries  to  come  to  the  feast  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  country — a  custom  that  was  never  by  any 
means  overlooked,  because  it  was  such  a  great  advantage  to  have  the 
fairies  as  guests. 

When  the  twelve  fairies  were  all  assembled  in  the  great  hall 
where  the  feast  was  to  be  held,  they  took  their  seats  at  the  table — a 
very  big  table  laden  with  such  good  things  to  eat,  and  so  rich,  that  it 
was  past  all  comprehension.  No  sooner  had  all  the  guests  seated 
themselves,  than  who  should  enter  but  the  wicked  fairy  Magotine  ! 

Now  the  Queen,  when  she  saw  her,  felt  that  some  disaster  would 
follow  because  she  had  omitted  to  send  this  fairy  an  invitation  ;  but 
she  hid  the  thought  deep  in  her  mind,  and  off  she  went  and  found  a 
beautiful  soft  seat  all  embroidered  in  gold  and  inlaid  with  sapphires ; 
then  all  the  other  fairies  moved  up  and  made  room  for  Magotine  to 
seat  herself,  saying  at  the  same  time,  '  Hurry  up,  sister,  and  make 
your  wish  for  the  little  Princesses,  and  then  come  and  sit  down/ 

But,  before  Magotine  came  to  table,  she  said  rudely  that  she  was 
quite  big  enough  to  eat  standing.  There  she  made  a  great  mistake, 
because  the  table  was  very  high  and  Magotine  was  very  small,  and,  in 
reaching  up,  she  fell.  This  misfortune  only  increased  her  bad  temper. 

'  Madam,'  said  the  Queen,  '  I  beg  you  to  be  seated  at  table.' 

'  If  you  had  so  much  wished  to  see  me  here,'  replied  the  fairy, 
'  you  would  have  sent  me  an  invitation  the  same  as  the  others.  You 
have  only  invited  to  your  court  the  most  beautiful,  well-dressed  and 
p  129 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

good-tempered  fairies,  like  my  sisters  here.  With  them  I  have 
no  fault  to  find ;  I,  however,  have  one  advantage  over  them,  as 
you  will  see ! ' 

Then  all  the  fairies  begged  her  to  seat  herself  with  them,  and 
she  did  so.  In  front  of  each  fairy  was  placed  a  beautiful  bouquet 
made  of  all  kinds  of  precious  stones.  Each  took  the  bouquet 
immediately  in  front  of  her,  and  there  remained  none  at  all  for 
Magotine  ;  and  she  growled  furiously  between  her  teeth. 

The  Queen,  quickly  noticing  the  awful  error,  ran  to  her  cabinet 
and  came  back  with  a  large  cup  all  perfumed  and  studded  outside 
with  rubies,  and  inside  full  of  diamonds  that  gave  forth  a  thousand 
different  colours.  Going  up  to  Magotine,  she  begged  her  to  receive 
the  present.  But  Magotine  only  shook  her  head  and  replied  :  '  Keep 
your  jewels,  madam,  I  do  not  want  them.  I  came  simply  to  see  if 
you  had  thought  of  me,  and  I  find  that  you  have  forgotten  me 
altogether.'  And  with  this  she  gave  a  tap  with  her  wand  on  the 
table  and  at  once  all  the  good  things  were  turned  into  serpents, 
which  wriggled  about  and  hissed  viciously.  The  other  fairies,  seeing 
this,  were  filled  with  horror ;  they  threw  down  their  serviettes  and 
quitted  the  table. 

While  they  were  leaving  the  table  the  wicked  little  fairy 
Magotine,  who  had  come  to  disturb  the  peace,  made  her  way  to  the 
room  where  the  little  Princesses  were  asleep  in  a  golden  cot  covered 
with  a  canopy  studded  with  diamonds,  the  most  beautiful  ever  seen 
in  the  world.  The  other  fairies  followed  her  to  watch.  Magotine 
stopped  beside  the  cot,  and,  taking  out  her  wand  quickly,  she 
touched  one  of  the  little  Princesses,  saying  at  the  same  time  :  '  I  wish 
that  you  become  the  most  ugly  person  that  it  would  be  possible  to 
find.'  Then  she  turned  to  the  other  little  Princess  ;  but,  before  she 
could  do  anything  further,  the  other  fairies  interfered,  and  taking  a 
great  pan  full  of  vitriol,  threw  it  over  the  wicked  Magotine.  But  not 
a  drop  touched  her,  for,  before  it  splashed  upon  the  floor,  she  had 
disappeared  before  their  very  eyes. 

The  Queen  then  made  her  way  to  the  cot  and  took  out  the  little 

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THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

Princess  that  Magotine  had  wished  to  be  so  ugly ;  and  the  Queen 
cried  with  sorrow  because,  every  minute  as  she  looked  at  it,  the  child 
was  becoming  uglier  and  uglier,  until  at  last  any  one  could  see  she 
was  the  ugliest  baby  in  the  world. 

Now  the  other  good  fairies  consulted  amongst  themselves  how 
they  could  lighten  this  great  sorrow,  so  they  turned  to  the  Queen  and 
said  :  '  Madam,  it  is  not  possible  to  undo  the  evil  that  the  fairy 
Magotine  has  put  upon  your  child,  but  we  will  wish  for  her 
something  that  will  help  to  balance  that  evil.'  And  then  they 
told  the  Queen  that  one  day  her  daughter  would  be  extremely 
happy.  With  this  the  fairies  took  their  departure,  but  not  before 
the  Queen  had  given  them  all  some  beautiful  presents ;  for  this 
custom  goes  on  amongst  all  the  peoples  of  the  earth,  and  will 
continue  when  other  customs  are  forgotten. 

The  Queen  called  her  ugly  daughter  Laideronnette,  and  the 
beautiful  daughter  Bellote ;  and  these  names  suited  them  perfectly, 
because  Laideronnette  was  frightfully  ugly,  and  her  sister  was 
equally  charming  and  beautiful. 

When  Laideronnette  was  twelve  years  old,  she  went  and  threw 
herself  at  the  feet  of  the  King  and  Queen,  and  begged  them  to  allow 
her  to  go  and  shut  herself  up  in  a  castle  far  away  near  the  Light  of 
Dawn,  and  to  let  her  take  the  necessary  servants  and  food  to  live 
there.  She  reminded  them  that  they  still  had  Bellote,  and  that  she 
was  enough  to  console  them. 

After  a  long  while  they  agreed,  and  Laideronnette  went  away  to 
her  castle  near  the  Light  of  Dawn.  On  one  side  of  the  castle  the  sea 
came  right  up  to  the  window,  and  on  another  there  was  a  great  canal; 
from  still  another  view  was  a  vast  forest  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see, 
and  beyond  again  a  great  desert. 

The  little  Princess  played  musical  instruments  beautifully,  and 
also  had  a  sweet  voice  just  like  a  bird,  and  sang  divinely ;  and  so, 
with  these  delights,  she  lived  for  two  whole  years  in  perfect  solitude. 
Then,  at  the  end  of  the  two  years,  she  began  to  feel  homesick  and 
wished  to  see  her  father  and  mother,  the  King  and  Queen  ;  so  she 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

started  on  the  journey  home  at  once,  and  arrived  just  as  her  sister 
the  Princess  Bellote  was  going  to  be  married. 

Now  as  soon  as  they  saw  Laideronnette,  they  did  not  offer  to 
kiss  her  or  say  they  were  pleased  to  see  her ;  and  they  told  her  she 
was  not  to  come  to  the  marriage  feast,  nor  to  the  ball  afterwards. 
Poor  little  Laideronnette  said  she  had  not  come  to  dance  and 
be  merry ;  neither  had  she  come  to  the  marriage  feast ;  she  had 
come  because  she  felt  homesick  and  wanted  to  see  her  father  and 
mother.  However,  she  would  go  away  back  to  her  castle  near  the 
Light  of  Dawn,  for  there  the  desert,  the  trees,  and  the  fountains 
never  reproached  her  with  her  ugliness  when  she  came  near  them. 

The  King  and  Queen  were  sorry  that  they  had  been  so  unkind, 
and  asked  Laideronnette  to  remain  two  or  three  days  ;  but  Laideron 
nette  was  so  upset  that  she  refused.  Then  her  sister  Bellote  gave 
her  some  silk,  and  Bellote's  betrothed  gave  her  some  ribbons.  Now, 
if  Laideronnette  had  been  like  some  people  she  would  have  thrown 
the  silk  and  the  ribbons  at  the  Princess  and  her  future  husband. 
But  Laideronnette  was  not  like  that,  and  she  only  felt  a  great  sorrow 
in  her  little  heart,  and  turned  away  and  took  her  faithful  nurse  with 
her  ;  and  all  the  way  home  towards  the  Light  of  Dawn,  Laideronnette 
never  spoke  a  single  word. 

One  day,  when  Laideronnette  was  walking  in  a  very  shaded 
valley  in  the  forest,  she  saw  on  a  tree  a  big  green  serpent,  who  lifted 
his  head  and  said  to  her,  '  Laideronnette,  you  are  not  the  only 
unhappy  person ;  look  at  my  horrible  form,  and  I  was  born  more 
beautiful  than  you.'  The  Princess  was  so  terrified  to  hear  a  serpent 
talk  that  she  fled  away  and  remained  in  her  room  for  days,  in  case 
she  should  see  or  meet  the  green  serpent  again. 

Eventually  Laideronnette  got  tired  of  being  shut  up  in  her  room 
all  day  alone,  so  one  evening  she  came  down  and  went  to  the  edge  of 
the  sea,  bewailing  all  the  time  her  awful  loneliness  and  her  sad 
destiny,  when  suddenly  she  saw  coming  towards  her  over  the 
waves  a  little  barque  of  a  thousand  different  colours  and  designs 
on  its  sides.  The  sail  was  beautifully  embroidered  in  gold,  and  the 

132 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

Princess  became  very  curious  to  see  all  the  beauties  that  the  barque 
must  contain  inside. 

She  made  her  way  aboard.  Inside  she  found  it  lined  with  lovely 
velvet,  the  seats  of  pure  gold  and  the  walls  studded  with  diamonds ; 
then,  all  of  a  sudden,  the  barque  turned  and  went  out  to  sea.  The 
Princess  ran  up  and  caught  hold  of  the  oars,  thinking  to  get  back  to 
her  castle  ;  but  it  was  no  use  :  she  could  do  nothing  at  all.  On  and 
on  went  the  barque  and  the  poor  little  Princess  wept  bitterly  at  this 
new  sorrow  that  had  come  to  her. 

'  Magotine  is  doing  me  a  bad  turn  again,'  she  thought,  so  she 
abandoned  herself  to  her  fate,  hoping  that  she  would  die.  '  Just  after  I 
was  looking  forward  to  a  little  pleasure  in  seeing  my  parents  yesterday, 
comes  one  catastrophe  on  another ;  and  now  my  sister  is  going  to  be 
married  to  a  great  Prince.  What  have  I  done  that  I  should  have  to 
live  alone  in  a  desert  spot  because  of  my  ugliness  ?  Alas  I  for  my 
company  I  have  only  a  serpent — who  speaks  ! ' 

These  reflections  brought  tears  from  the  Princess,  and  she  gazed 
on  every  side  to  see  which  way  death  was  coming  for  her.  While 
looking  and  gazing  she  saw,  approaching  on  the  waves,  a  serpent, 
flashing  green  in  the  sunlight.  He  came  up  to  the  side  of  the 
barque  and  said  :  '  If  you  are  good  enough  to  receive  help  from 
a  poor  Green  Serpent,  tell  me,  for  I  am  in  a  position  to  save 
your  life.' 

'  Death  is  nothing  to  me  compared  to  the  sight  of  you,'  cried  the 
Princess ;  '  and,  if  you  really  want  to  do  me  a  favour,  never  show 
yourself  before  my  eyes  again.' 

The  Green  Serpent  gave  a  big  sigh  (for  that  is  the  way  of 
serpents  in  love),  and,  without  replying  at  all,  he  dived  to  the  bottom 
of  the  sea. 

'  What  a  horrible  monster  I '  said  the  Princess  to  herself.  '  His 
body  is  of  a  thousand  green  colours,  and  he  has  eyes  like  fire.  I 
would  rather  die  than  that  he  should  save  my  life.  What  love  can  he 
have  for  me,  and  by  what  right  does  he  speak  like  a  human  being  ?' 

Suddenly  a  voice  replied  to  her  thoughts,  and  it  said,  '  Listen, 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

Laideronnette,  it  is  not  my  fault  that  I  am  a  Green  Serpent ;  and  it 
will  not  be  for  ever ;  but,  I  assure  you,  I  am  less  ugly  in  my  special 
way  than  you  are  in  yours.  All  the  same,  it  is  not  my  wish  to  pain 
you  ;  I  would  comfort  you  if  you  would  only  let  me  I ' 

The  voice  surprised  the  Princess  very  much,  so  sweet  was  it  that 
she  could  not  hold  back  her  tears.  '  I  am  not  crying  because  I  am 
afraid  to  die,'  she  answered,  '  but  I  am  hurt  enough  to  weep  over  my 
ugliness.  I  have  nothing  to  live  for,  why  should  I  cry  for  fear  of 
dying  ? ' 

While  she  was  thus  moralising,  the  little  barque  that  floated  with 
the  wind  ran  into  a  rock  and  broke  up  into  pieces,  and,  when  all 
else  had  sunk,  there  remained  of  the  wreck  only  two  little  pieces  of 
wood.  The  poor  Princess  caught  hold  of  these  two  little  pieces  and 
kept  herself  afloat ;  then,  happily,  her  feet  touched  a  rock  and  she 
scrambled  up  on  to  it. 

Alas !  what  was  that  coming  towards  her  now  but  the  Green 
Serpent !  As  if  he  knew  that  she  was  afraid,  he  moved  away  a  little, 
and  said :  '  You  would  be  less  afraid  of  me,  Laideronnette,  if  you 
knew  what  advantages  can  be  had  through  me ;  it  is  one  of  the 
punishments  of  my  destiny,  however,  that  I  should  frighten  every  one 
in  the  world.' 

And  with  this  he  threw  himself  back  into  the  sea,  and 
Laideronnette  remained  alone  on  the  rock  in  the  middle  of  the 
ocean.  On  whichever  side  she  looked  she  saw  nothing  but  what 
would  cause  her  despair ;  and  darkness  began  to  fall,  and  she  had  no 
food  to  eat,  and  Laideronnette  did  not  know  where  to  sleep. 

'  I  thought,'  said  she  sadly,  '  that  I  should  end  my  days  at  the 
bottom  of  the  sea ;  but  without  a  doubt  this  is  to  be  the  end  ;  what 
sea-monster  will  come  to  eat  me  up  ? ' 

She  crept  higher  and  higher  up  the  rock,  and  looked  out  over  the 
sea.  Darkness  was  falling  fast,  so  she  took  off  her  dress  and  covered 
her  head  and  face  in  it,  so  that  she  could  not  see  the  awful  things 
that  would  pass  in  the  night. 

After  a  long  time  she  fell  asleep,  and  dreamt  that  she  heard  the 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

most  melodious  music,  and  she  tried  to  persuade  herself  that  she 
was  awake,  but  in  a  second  she  heard  a  voice  singing,  as  if  to  her 
alone  : — 

'  Suffer  the  love  that  wounds  you  : 

It  is  a  tender  fire. 
The  love  that  follows  and  surrounds  you 

To  your  love  would  aspire. 
Banish  fear,  forgo  all  grieving : 
Love  hath  joys  past  all  believing. 

Suffer  the  love  that  wounds  you  : 
It  is  a  tender  fire.' 

At  the  end  of  this  song  she  woke  up  at  once.  '  What  happiness 
or  what  misfortune  threatens  me  ? '  said  she.  She  opened  her  eyes 
very  carefully,  for  she  was  full  of  fear,  expecting  to  find  herself  sur 
rounded  by  monsters  from  the  sea ;  but,  imagine  her  surprise  to  find 
herself  in  a  chamber  all  glittering  with  gold  I  The  bed  on  which  she 
lay  was  perfect,  and  the  most  beautiful  to  be  seen  anywhere  in  the 
wide  world.  Laideronnette  got  up  and  went  out  on  to  a  wide 
balcony,  where  she  saw  all  the  beauties  of  nature  before  her.  The 
gardens  were  full  of  flowers — flowers  that  gave  out  the  rarest 
perfume ;  fountains  splashed  everywhere,  and  were  surmounted  by 
lovely  figures  ;  and  outside  the  gardens  was  a  wonderful  forest  green 
with  verdure.  The  palace  and  the  walls  were  encrusted  with  precious 
stones,  the  roofs  and  ceilings  were  made  of  pearls,  so  beautifully 
done  that  it  was  a  perfect  work  of  art.  From  the  tower  of  the  palace 
could  be  seen  beyond  the  forest  a  sea  calm  and  placid,  just  like  a 
sheet  of  glass,  and  on  the  sea  floated  thousands  of  little  boats  with 
all  kinds  of  different  sails,  which,  when  caught  by  the  wind,  had  the 
most  lovely  effect  imaginable. 

'Gods,  sweet  gods!'  cried  Laideronnette,  'what  do  I  see? 
Where  am  I  ?  Is  it  possible  that  I  am  in  heaven — I  who  yesterday 
was  in  peril  in  a  barque?'  She  walked  as  she  spoke,  then  she 
stopped ;  what  noise  was  that  she  heard  in  her  apartment  ?  She 
turned  and  entered  her  room,  and,  coming  towards  her,  she  saw  a 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

hundred  little  animated  pagodas,  all  of  different  designs.  Some 
were  very  beautiful,  while  others  were  extremely  ugly.  In  fact  there 
was  hardly  any  difference  between  the  little  pagodas  and  the  people 
who  inhabit  the  world. 

The  pagoda  which  now  presented  itself  before  Laideronnette 
was  the  deputy  of  the  King.  It  said  that  sometimes  it  went 
travelling  all  over  the  world,  but  was  allowed  to  do  so  only  on  one 
condition :  namely,  that  it  did  not  talk  to  any  one ;  otherwise  the 
King  would  not  give  the  necessary  permission.  On  its  return  it 
entertained  the  King  by  recounting  all  that  it  had  heard  and  seen  ; 
moreover,  it  held  the  most  precious  secrets  of  the  court.  '  It  will  be 
a  pleasure  to  serve  you,  madam/  it  went  on,  '  and  everything  you 
want  we  shall  be  delighted  to  get  for  you ;  in  the  meantime  we  will 
play  for  you  and  dance  so  that  you  will  have  plenty  to  make  you 
happy.'  And  they  all  began  to  dance  and  sing,  and  play  on  castanets 
and  tambourines. 

When  they  had  finished,  the  principal  pagoda  said  to  the 
Princess  :  '  Listen,  madam,  these  hundred  pagodas  are  here 
expressly  to  serve  you,  and  any  mortal  thing  you  want  in  the  world 
you  have  only  to  ask  for  it  and  it  shall  be  yours  at  once.'  The  little 
pagodas  paused  in  their  movements  and  came  near  to  Laideronnette, 
and  she  saw  at  a  glance  that  they  were  simply  lovely.  Looking  inside, 
she  saw  that  they  contained  presents  for  her,  some  useful  and  others 
so  beautiful  that  she  could  only  cry  out  with  joy. 

The  biggest  pagoda,  which  was  a  little  figure  of  pure  diamonds, 
then  came  up  to  Laideronnette  and  asked  her  if  she  would  now 
like  her  bath  in  the  little  grotto.  The  Princess  walked,  between 
a  guard  of  honour,  to  the  place  it  pointed  to,  and  there  she  saw 
two  beautiful  baths  of  crystal,  and  from  them  came  such  a 
lovely  fragrance  that  Laideronnette  could  not  help  remarking  about 
it.  Then  she  asked  why  there  were  two  bathing  places,  and 
they  told  her  that  one  was  for  her  and  the  other  for  the  King  of 
the  Pagodas. 

1  But  where  is  he,  then  ? '  cried  Laideronnette. 

136 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

'  Madam/  said  they,  '  at  present  he  is  at  the  war ;  but  you 
shall  see  him  on  his  return.' 

The  Princess  asked  them  if  he  was  married,  and  they  shook  their 
little  top  turrets,  meaning  that  he  was  not.  Then  they  told  her  that 
he  was  so  good  and  kind  that  he  had  never  found  any  one  good 
enough  to  marry. 

Laideronnette  then  undressed  herself  and  got  into  the  bath,  and 
at  once  the  pagodas  began  to  sing  and  play.  Then,  when  the 
Princess  was  ready  to  come  out  of  her  bath,  she  was  given  a 
dress  of  shining  colours,  and  they  all  walked  before  her  to  her 
room,  where  her  toilet  was  made  by  maids,  all  of  them  quaint  little 
pagodas. 

The  Princess  was  astounded,  and  expressed  her  delight  at  her 
great  good  fortune. 

There  was  not  a  day  that  the  pagodas  did  not  come  and  tell  her 
all  the  news  of  the  courts  where  they  had  been  in  different  parts  of 
the  world.  People  plotting  for  war,  others  seeking  for  peace ;  wives 
who  were  unfaithful,  old  widowers  who  married  wives  a  thousand 
times  more  unsuitable  than  those  they  had  lost ;  discovered  treasures  ; 
favourites  at  court,  and  out  of  it,  who  had  fallen  from  the  coveted 
seat  they  occupied ;  jealous  wives,  to  say  nothing  at  all  about 
husbands  ;  women  who  flirted,  and  naughty  children  ; — in  fact  they 
told  her  everything  that  was  going  on,  to  make  her  happy  and  to 
help  to  pass  the  time  away. 

Now  one  night  it  happened  that  the  Princess  could  not  sleep, 
and  she  lay  awake,  thinking.  At  last  she  said  :  '  What  is  going  to 
happen  to  me  ?  Shall  I  always  be  here  ?  My  life  is  passed  more 
happily  than  I  ever  could  wish  ;  but,  all  the  same,  there  is  a  feeling 
in  my  heart  that  there  is  something  missing.' 

'Ah  I  Princess,'  said  a  voice,  'is  it  not  your  own  fault?  If 
you  would  only  love  me,  you  would  recognise  at  once  that  it  would 
be  possible  to  remain  in  this  palace  for  ever,  alone  with  the  one  you 
loved,  without  ever  wishing  to  leave  it.' 

'Which  little  pagoda  is  speaking  to  me  now?'  she  asked. 
Q  '37 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

'What  dreadful  counsel  to  give  me,  contrary  to  all  I  have  been 
taught  in  my  life  ! ' 

•  It  is  not  a  pagoda  who  is  talking  to  you  ;  it  is  the  unhappy 
King  who  loves  you,  madam/ 

'A  King  who  loves  me!'  replied  the  Princess.  '  Has  this  King 
eyes,  or  does  he  need  glasses?  Has  he  not  seen  that  I  am  the 
ugliest  person  in  the  world  ? ' 

'  Yes,  I  have  seen  you,  madam.  All  that  you  are,  and  all  that 
you  may  have  been,  make  not  the  least  difference  to  me.  I  repeat,  I 
love  you.' 

The  Princess  did  not  speak  again,  but  she  spent  the  rest  of  the 
night  thinking  over  this  adventure. 

Every  day  on  getting  up  she  found  new  clothes  and  fresh  jewels  ; 
it  was  too  much  homage,  considering  she  was  so  ugly. 

One  night — it  must  have  been  the  darkest  night  of  the  whole 
year — Laideronnette  was  asleep,  and,  on  awakening,  she  felt  that 
some  one  sat  near  her  bed.  The  Princess  put  out  her  hand  to  feel, 
but  somebody  took  her  hand  and  kissed  it,  and  in  so  doing  let  tear 
drops  fall  upon  it.  She  knew  full  well  that  it  must  be  the  invisible 
King. 

'  What  do  you  want  with  me  ? '  she  said.  '  Can  I  love  somebody 
I  have  never  seen  and  do  not  know  ? ' 

'  Ah  I  madam,'  replied  he,  '  what  pleasure  it  would  give  me  to 
be  able  to  fulfil  your  wish !  But  the  wicked  Magotine,  who  played 
you  such  a  cruel  trick,  has  done  the  same  to  me,  for  I  am  condemned 
to  remain  thus  for  seven  years  ;  five  have  already  gone  by  and  there 
remain  another  two  years.  You  could,  if  you  would,  lessen  the  time 
and  make  it  pass  quickly  for  me  if  you  would  marry  me ;  you  will 
think  that  what  I  ask  is  impossible ;  but,  madam,  if  you  only  knew 
how  deep  my  love  is  for  you,  you  would  never  refuse  me  the  favour 
I  ask  of  you.' 

Laideronnette,  as  I  have  already  said,  thought  that  this  invisible 
King  was  very  sweet,  and  the  love  he  offered  was  without  a  doubt 
genuine.  And,  in  a  moment  of  pity,  she  replied  that  she  would  like 

138 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

a  few  days  to  think  over  his  proposal.  So  the  days  passed,  and  all 
the  time  the  music  went  on  and  the  pagodas  danced  and  new  presents 
arrived  for  her,  better  than  those  she  had  received  before.  And  in 
the  end  the  Princess  made  up  her  mind  to  marry  the  invisible  King, 
and  she  promised  to  wait  to  see  him  until  his  time  of  punishment 
was  over  and  he  could  take  visible  shape  again. 

Then  the  voice  said  :  '  The  consequences  will  be  terrible  for  you 
and  for  me  if  your  curiosity  should  overcome  you,  and  I  shall  have 
to  commence  my  punishment  all  over  again ;  but,  should  you,  on  the 
other  hand,  stay  your  desire  to  see  me,  you  will  receive  that  beauty 
that  the  wicked  Magotine  took  away  from  you." 

The  Princess,  full  of  this  new  hope,  promised  to  keep  her  word 
to  him.  But  after  a  while  she  had  a  deep  desire  to  see  her  father 
and  mother  again  ;  also  her  sister  and  her  husband.  The  pagodas, 
who  knew  the  road  well,  conducted  the  royal  family  to  the  castle 
of  Laideronnette's  father  and  mother ;  and  when  she  saw  them  she 
nearly  died  of  joy. 

Her  mother  and  her  sister  questioned  Laideronnette  about  her 
husband,  and  Laideronnette  remembered  what  her  husband  had  told 
her ;  she  did  not  like  to  tell  her  people  the  truth,  so  she  told  them 
that  he  was  at  the  war  fighting,  and  that  he  did  not  like  seeing 
people.  But  her  mother  and  sister  chaffed  her  about  him,  and  at  last 
Laideronnette  said  that  the  wicked  Magotine  had  punished  him  for 
seven  years,  that  two  remained  to  be  finished,  and  that  she  had 
married  him  without  ever  having  seen  him ;  but  that  he  was  a 
charming  person  and  his  conversation  proved  the  fact,  and  that  if 
she  held  her  curiosity  until  the  two  years  were  up,  she  would  regain 
all  the  beauty  that  the  fairy  Magotine  had  taken  from  her. 

'  Ah  1 '  replied  her  mother,  '  is  it  possible  that  you  are  such  a 
simpleton  as  to  believe  all  those  tales?  Your  husband  is  a  huge 
monster  ;  he  is  the  King  of  monkeys  truly.' 

'  I  know  full  well,'  replied  Laideronnette,  '  that  he  is  the  god  of 
Love  himself.' 

'  What  a  terrible  mistake  I '  screamed  the  Queen  Bellote. 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

The  poor  Princess  was  so  confused  and  upset  that,  after  giving 
them  the  presents,  she  resolved  to  go  and  see  her  husband.  Ah,  fatal 
curiosity !  She  took  a  little  lamp  with  her  that  she  might  be  able  to 
see  him  the  better.  What  was  her  surprise  when,  instead  of  Love,  she 
saw  the  Green  Serpent !  He  drew  himself  up  in  rage  and  sorrow  : 

'  O  wicked  one  I '  cried  he ;  'is  this  the  return  for  all  my  love 
for  you  ? ' 

Now  Magotine,  knowing  that  Laideronnette  and  the  Green 
Serpent  were  in  trouble,  came  to  add  to  their  sorrow  and  taunt 
them.  She  took  away,  with  one  wave  of  her  wand,  all  the  lovely 
castles  and  fountains  and  gardens.  And  Laideronnette,  seeing  all 
that  she  had  done,  was  very  troubled.  So,  during  the  night, 
Laideronnette  deplored  her  sad  fate.  Then,  high  up  near  the  stars, 
she  saw  coming  towards  her  the  Green  Serpent. 

'  I  always  make  you  afraid,'  he  cried  ;  '  but  you  are  infinitely  dear 
to  me.' 

'  Is  it  you,  Serpent,  dear  lover ;  is  it  you  ? '  cried  Laideronnette. 
'Can  you  forgive  me  for  my  fatal  curiosity?' 

'  Ah  1  how  the  sorrow  of  absence  troubles  this  loving  heart!' 
replied  the  Serpent,  with  never  a  word  of  reproach  to  Laideronnette 
for  her  broken  promise. 

Magotine,  now,  was  one  of  those  fairies  who  never  slept  at  all : 
the  wish  to  do  harm  and  never  to  miss  the  chance  kept  her  awake; 
and  she  did  not  fail  to  hear  the  conversation  between  the  King 
Serpent  and  his  spouse ;  and  she  came  down  upon  them  in  a  fury. 

'  Now  then,  Green  Serpent,'  said  she,  '  I  order  you  for  your 
punishment  to  go  right  to  the  good  Proserpine,  and  give  her  my 
compliments.' 

The  poor  Green  Serpent  went  at  once  with  great  sighs,  leaving 
the  Queen  in  sorrow.  And  Laideronnette  cried  out : 

'What  crime  have  we  committed  now,  you  wicked  Magotine?  I 
am  certain  that  the  poor  King,  whom  you  have  sent  to  the  bottomless 
pit  of  hell,  was  as  innocent  as  I  myself  am ;  but  let  me  die :  it  is  the 
least  you  can  do.' 

140 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

'  You  would  be  too  happy,'  said  Magotine,  '  were  I  to  listen  and 
grant  you  your  wish.  I  will  send  you  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea/ 
So  saying,  she  took  the  poor  Princess  to  the  top  of  the  highest 
mountain  and  tied  a  mill-stone  about  her  neck,  telling  her  that  she 
was  to  go  down  and  bring  enough  Water  of  Discretion  to  fill  up 
her  great  big  glass.  The  Princess  said  that  it  was  absolutely 
impossible  to  carry  all  that  water. 

'  If  you  do  not,'  said  Magotine,  'you  may  rest  assured  that  your 
Green  Serpent  will  suffer  more.' 

This  threat  caused  the  Queen  to  think  of  her  utter  feebleness. 
She  began  to  walk,  but,  alas  I  it  was  Useless.  Oh  I  if  the  Fairy 
Protectress  would  only  help  her  1  Loudly  she  called,  and  lo  I  there 
stood  the  good  fairy  by  her  side. 

'  See,'  said  she,  '  to  what  a  pass  your  fatal  curiosity  has  brought 
you  ! '  So  saying,  she  took  her  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  ;  she  gave 
her  a  little  carriage  drawn  by  two  white  mice  and  told  them  to 
descend  the  mountain.  Then  she  gave  the  little  mice  a  vessel  to  fill 
up  with  the  Water  of  Discretion  for  Magotine,  and  produced  a  little 
pair  of  iron  shoes  for  Laideronnette  to  put  on.  She  counselled  her 
not  to  remain  on  the  mountain  and  not  to  stay  by  the  fountain,  but 
to  go  into  a  little  wood  and  to  remain  there  three  years,  for  then 
Magotine  would  think  that  she  was  getting  the  water  or  that  she  had 
perished  in  the  awful  perils  of  the  voyage. 

Laideronnette  kissed  and  embraced  the  good  Fairy  Protectress, 
and  thanked  her  a  thousand  times  for  her  great  favours.  '  But, 
madam,'  said  Laideronnette,  '  all  the  joys  that  you  have  given  me 
will  not  lessen  the  sorrow  of  not  having  my  Green  Serpent.' 

'  He  will  come  to  you  after  you  have  been  three  years  in  the 
wood  in  the  mountain,'  said  the  fairy ;  '  and  on  your  return  you  can 
give  the  water  to  Magotine.' 

Laideronnette  promised  the  fairy  not  to  forget  anything  she  had 
told  her.  So,  when  she  got  into  her  carriage,  the  mice  took  her  to 
get  the  water,  and  afterwards  they  went  to  the  wood  that  the  fairy 
had  told  them  about.  There  never  was  a  more  lovely  place.  Fruit 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

hung  on  all  the  branches ;  and  there  were  long  avenues  where  the 
sun  could  not  pierce ;  thousands  of  little  fountains  splashed,  but 
the  most  wonderful  thing  of  all  was,  that  all  the  animals  could 
speak. 

Three  years  passed,  and  the  time  had  now  arrived  for  her 
departure  with  the  water  for  Magotine.  So  Laideronnette  told  all 
the  animals  that  she  was  sorry  to  leave  them,  and  tears  fell  from  her 
eyes,  because  she  was  so  touched  with  the  kindness  they  all  had 
shown  her. 

She  did  not  forget  the  vessel  full  of  the  Water  of  Discretion,  nor 
the  little  shoes  of  iron  that  the  good  fairy  had  given  her ;  and,  just 
when  Magotine  thought  her  dead,  she  presented  herself  all  of  a 
sudden  before  her,  the  stones  around  her  neck,  the  shoes  of  iron 
on  her  feet,  and  the  vessel  full  of  water  in  her  hand. 

Magotine  on  seeing  her  cried  out  in  surprise.  Where  had  she 
come  from  ? 

'  Madam,'  said  Laideronnette,  '  I  passed  three  years  in  trying 
to  get  this  water  for  you.' 

Magotine  roared  with  laughter  when  she  thought  of  the  awful 
job  this  poor  Queen  must  have  had  to  get  it ;  but  she  regarded  her 
attentively. 

'What  is  it  that  I  see?'  she  cried  to  Laideronnette,  who  had 
changed  greatly.  '  How  did  you  become  so  beautiful  ?' 

Laideronnette  told  her  that  she  had  washed  in  the  Water  of 
Discretion,  and  that  was  how  she  had  become  beautiful. 

Magotine,  on  hearing  this,  threw  the  water  on  the  ground.  '  I 
will  be  avenged,'  said  she.  '  Go  down  to  the  bottomless  pit  and  ask 
Proserpine  to  give  you  the  Essence  of  Long  Life  for  me ;  I  am 
always  afraid  of  falling  ill  and  dying.  When  you  have  done  this  you 
will  be  free.  But  mind  you  do  not  upset  any;  neither  may  you 
drink  the  tiniest  drop. 

The  poor  Queen,  on  hearing  this  new  order,  was  terribly  cut  up. 
She  began  to  cry  ;  and  Magotine,  seeing  this,  was  delighted.  '  Go  on, 
get  away  I '  said  she.  '  Do  not  lose  one  moment.' 

142 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

Laideronnette  walked  for  a  long  time  without  finding  the  right 
path,  turning  first  one  way  and  then  the  other ;  then  suddenly  she 
saw  the  Fairy  Protectress,  who  said  to  her : 

'  Do  you  know,  beautiful  Queen,  that  by  the  orders  of  Magotinc 
your  husband  is  to  remain  as  he  is  until  you  take  the  Essence  of 
Life  to  that  wicked  fairy  ? ' 

'  I  am  yet  a  long  way  away,'  said  Laideronnette. 

'  Here,'  said  the  Fairy  Protectress,  '  see,  here  is  a  branch  of  a 
tree :  touch  the  earth  and  repeat  this  verse  distinctly.' 

The  Queen  once  again  kissed  the  knees  of  this  really  good  and 
generous  fairy,  and  at  the  same  time  repeated  after  her : 

'  Thou  who  all  malice  canst  disarm, 

Protect  me  as  I  rove  ! 
Deliver  me  from  all  who  harm, 

But  not  from  him  I  love. 
For,  if  devoured  I  am  to  be, 

Hew  my  monster — none  but  he ! ' 

And  immediately,  in  answer  to  her  prayer,  a  little  boy  more 
beautiful  than  any  in  heaven  or  earth  came  up  to  her.  On  his  head 
was  a  garland  of  flowers,  and  in  his  hand  a  bow  and  arrow.  The 
Queen  knew  at  once  that  it  was  Love.  He  said  to  her : 

'  You  appeal  to  me  so  tenderly  that  I  deserted  the  heavens.' 
Love,  who  sang  beautifully  in  verse,  gave  three  knocks  while 
singing  this  song : 

'  Earth,  listen  and  my  voice  obey. 
It  is  Love  who  speaks :  reveal  the  way  ! ' 

The  earth  obeyed :  a  path  opened  up,  and  Love  took 
Laideronnette  under  his  protection ;  and  so  they  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  hell.  She  expected  to  see  her  husband  in  the  form  of 
a  serpent,  but  he  had  just  finished  his  terrible  punishment.  The 
first  thing  that  Laideronnette  saw  was  indeed  her  husband  ;  but  she 
had  never  seen  such  a  charming  figure,  nor  any  one  so  handsome ; 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

and  neither  had  he  seen  any  one  so  beautiful  as  she  had  become. 
Then  the  Queen  said  with  extreme  tenderness : 

'  Destiny  I  I  bend  the  knee 

To  thee  and  thy  decree : 
If  he  must  dwell  in  deepest  hell 

He  dwelleth  there  -with  me, 
For  e'en  in  hell  I'll  love  him  well 

For  all  eternity.' 

The  King  was  full  of  joy  and  love,  and  showed  it  by  the  way  he 
kissed  her.  Love,  however,  never  did  believe  in  wasting  time,  so  he 
took  the  Queen  to  Proserpine.  The  Queen  gave  the  compliments  of 
the  fairy  Magotine,  and  begged  her  to  give  her  the  Essence  of  Long 
Life.  Love  took  it  and  handed  it  to  her,  telling  her  not  to  forget 
the  penalty  that  she  had  paid  for  her  curiosity,  and  to  take  every 
care  this  time.  He  would  never  leave  them  again.  He  conducted 
them  to  the  fairy  Magotine,  and  then,  so  that  Magotine  should  not 
see  him,  he  hid  in  their  hearts. 

During  this  time  the  fairy  Magotine  was  so  impressed  with  the 
beauty  of  human  feelings,  that  she  received  the  poor  unfortunate 
King  and  Queen  with  some  feeling  of  generosity.  She  gave  them 
back  the  lovely  palace  with  all  the  good  things  that  they  had  before, 
and  made  the  King  head  of  the  pagodas  again.  So  they  went  home, 
and  all  the  great  sorrows  that  they  had  passed  through  they  soon 
forgot  in  the  greater  joy  of  each  other. 


THE  GREEN  SERPENT 

Laideronnette    kissed     and       embraced     the    good     Fairy 
Protectress. 


ISee  page   141 


UR AS HIM A     TARO 


U  RASH  I  MA  TARO 

A  JAPANESE    FAIRY   TALE 

A  VERY  long  time  ago  there  lived  in  Japan  a  young  fisherman  named 
Urashima  Taro.  His  father  before  him  had  been  a  very  expert 
fisherman,  but  Urashima's  skill  in  the  art  so  far  exceeded  that  of  his 
father,  that  his  name  as  a  fisher  was  known  far  and  wide  beyond  his 
own  little  village.  It  was  a  common  saying  that  he  could  catch  more 
fish  in  a  day  than  a  dozen  others  could  in  a  whole  week. 

But  it  was  not  only  as  a  fisher  that  Urashima  excelled.  Wher 
ever  he  was  known,  he  was  loved  for  his  kindly  heart.  Never  had  he 
hurt  even  the  meanest  creature.  Indeed,  had  it  not  been  necessary 
to  catch  fish  for  his  living,  he  would  always  have  fished  with  a 
straight  hook,  so  as  to  catch  only  such  fish  as  wished  to  be  caught. 
And  as  for  teasing  and  tormenting  animals,  when  he  was  a  boy,  his 
tenderness  towards  all  the  dumb  creation  was  a  matter  for  laughter 
with  his  companions ;  but  nothing  would  ever  induce  him  to  join  in 
the  cruel  sport  in  which  some  boys  delight. 

One  evening,  as  Urashima  was  returning  from  a  hard  day's  fish 
ing,  he  met  a  number  of  boys  all  shouting  and  laughing  over  some 
thing  they  were  worrying  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  It  was  a 
tortoise  they  had  caught  and  were  ill-treating.  Between  them  all, 
what  with  sticks  and  stones  and  other  kinds  of  torture,  the  poor 
creature  was  hard  beset  and  seemed  almost  frightened  to  death. 

Urashima  could  not  bear  to  see  a  helpless  thing  treated  in  that 
way,  so  he  interfered. 

'  Boys ! '  he  said,  '  that 's  no  way  to  treat  a  harmless  dumb 
creature.  You  '11  kill  the  poor  thing  ! ' 


URASHIMA  TARO 

But  the  boys  merely  laughed,  and,  taking  no  further  notice,  con 
tinued  their  cruel  sport. 

'What's  a  tortoise?'  cried  one.  '  Besides,  it 's  great  fun.  Come 
on,  lads  I '  And  they  went  on  with  their  heartless  game. 

Urashima  thought  the  matter  over  for  a  little,  wondering  how  he 
could  persuade  the  boys  to  give  the  tortoise  up  to  him.  At  last  he 
said  with  a  smile,  '  Come,  boys  !  I  know  you  're  good-hearted  young 
fellows :  I  '11  make  a  bargain  with  you.  What  I  really  wanted  was 
to  buy  the  tortoise, — that  is,  if  it  is  your  own.' 

'  Of  course  it 's  our  own.  We  caught  it.'  They  had  begun  to 
gather  round  him  at  the  prospect  of  a  sale,  for  they  relished  the 
money  to  buy  sweetmeats  even  more  than  the  cruel  sport  of 
tormenting  an  innocent  creature. 

'Very  well,'  replied  Urashima,  bringing  a  string  of  coins  out  of 
his  pocket  and  holding  them  up.  '  See  I  you  can  buy  a  lot  of  nice 
things  with  this.  What  do  you  say  ? ' 

He  smiled  at  them  so  sweetly  and  spoke  so  gently  that,  with  the 
cash  dangling  before  their  eyes,  they  were  soon  won  over.  The 
biggest  boy  then  grabbed  the  tortoise,  and  held  it  out  to  him  with  one 
hand,  while  he  reached  for  the  string  of  coins  with  the  other.  '  All 
right,  uncle,'  he  said,  '  you  can  have  the  tortoise.' 

Urashima  handed  over  the  money  in  exchange  for  the  poor, 
frightened  creature,  and  the  boys  were  soon  making  their  way  to  the 
nearest  sweetmeat  shop. 

Meanwhile  Urashima  looked  at  the  tortoise,  which  looked  back 
at  him  with  wistful  eyes  full  of  meaning ;  and,  though  it  could  not 
speak,  the  young  fisherman  understood  it  perfectly,  and  his  tender 
heart  went  out  to  it. 

'  Poor  little  tortoise  1 '  he  said,  holding  it  up  and  stroking  it 
gently  to  soothe  its  fears,  '  you  are  all  right  with  me.  But 
remember,  sweet  little  one,  you  Ve  had  a  narrow  squeak  of  losing  a 
very  long  life.  How  long  is  it  ?  Ten  thousand  years,  they  say  ; — 
that 's  ten  times  as  long  as  a  stork  can  boast  of.  Now  I  'm  going  to 
take  you  right  back  to  the  sea,  so  that  you  can  swim  away  to  your 

146 


U  RASH  I  MA  TARO 

home  and  to  your  own  people.  But  promise  me  you  will  never  let 
yourself  be  caught  again.' 

The  tortoise  promised  with  its  eyes.  So  wistful  and  grateful 
were  they,  that  Urashima  felt  he  could  never  forget  them. 

By  this  time  he  was  down  on  the  seashore,  and  there  he  placed 
the  tortoise  in  the  sea  and  watched  it  swim  away.  Then  he  went 
home  feeling  very  happy  about  the  whole  thing. 

Morning  was  breaking  when  Urashima  pushed  off  his  boat  for 
his  day's  fishing.  The  sea  was  calm,  and  the  air  was  full  of  the  soft, 
sweet  warmth  of  summer.  Soon  he  was  out  skimming  over  the  blue 
depths,  and  when  the  tide  began  to  ebb,  he  drifted  far  beyond  the 
other  fishermen's  boats,  until  his  own  was  lost  to  their  sight. 

It  was  such  a  lovely  morning  when  the  sun  rose  and  slanted 
across  the  waters,  that,  when  he  thought  of  the  short  span  of  human 
life,  he  wished  that  he  had  thousands  of  years  to  live,  like  the  tortoise 
he  had  rescued  from  the  boys  the  day  before. 

As  he  was  dreaming  these  thoughts,  he  was  suddenly  startled 
by  a  sweet  voice  calling  his  name.  It  fell  on  his  ears  like  the  note 
of  a  silver  bell  dropping  from  the  skies.  Again  it  came,  nearer 
than  before : 

'  Urashima  I  Urashima  ! ' 

He  looked  all  around  on  the  surface  of  the  sea,  thinking  that 
some  one  had  hailed  him  from  a  boat,  but  there  was  no  one  there, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

And  now  he  heard  the  voice  again  close  at  hand,  and,  looking 
over  the  side  of  the  boat,  he  saw  a  tortoise  looking  up  at  him,  and 
he  knew  by  its  eyes  that  it  was  the  same  tortoise  he  had  restored 
to  the  sea  the  previous  day. 

'  So  we  meet  again,'  he  said  pleasantly.  '  Fancy  you  finding 
me  in  the  middle  of  the  ocean  !  What  is  it,  you  funny  little 
tortoise  ?  Do  you  want  to  be  caught  again,  eh  ? ' 

'  I  have  looked  for  you,'  replied  the  tortoise,  '  ever  since  dawn, 
and  when  I  saw  you  in  the  boat  I  swam  after  you  to  thank  you 
for  saving  my  life.' 


URASHIMA  TARO 

'  Well,  that 's  very  nice  of  you  to  say  that.  I  haven't  much  to 
offer  you,  but  if  you  would  like  to  come  up  into  the  boat  and  dry 
your  back  in  the  sun  we  can  have  a  chat.' 

The  tortoise  was  pleased  to  accept  the  invitation,  and  Urashima 
helped  it  up  over  the  side.  Then,  after  talking  of  many  things,  the 
tortoise  remarked,  '  I  suppose  you  have  never  seen  Rin  Gin,  the 
Dragon  Sea-King's  palace,  have  you  ? ' 

Urashima  shook  his  head. 

4  No,'  he  replied.  '  They  tell  me  it  is  a  beautiful  sight,  but  in  all 
the  years  that  I  have  spent  upon  the  sea  I  have  never  been  invited 
to  the  Dragon  King's  palace.  It 's  some  distance  from  here,  isn't  it  ?' 

'  I  do  not  think  you  believe  there  is  such  a  place,'  replied  the 
tortoise,  who  had  seen  a  twinkle  in  Urashima's  eye.  '  Yet  I  assure 
you  it  exists,  but  a  long  way  off — right  down  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea.  If  you  would  really  like  to  see  Rin  Gin,  I  will  take  you  there.' 

'  That  is  very  kind  of  you,'  said  Urashima  with  a  polite  bow, 
which  pleased  the  tortoise  greatly ;  '  but  I  am  only  a  man,  you  know, 
and  cannot  swim  a  long  way  under  the  sea  like  a  tortoise.' 

But  the  little  creature  hastened  to  reassure  him. 

'That's  not  at  all  necessary,'  it  said.  'I'll  do  the  swimming 
and  you  can  ride  on  my  back.' 

Urashima  laughed.  The  idea  of  his  riding  on  the  back  of  a 
tortoise  that  he  could  hold  in  his  hand  was  funny,  and  he  said  so. 

'  Never  mind  how  funny  it  is,'  said  the  tortoise ;  'just  get  on  and 
see.'  And  then,  as  Urashima  looked  at  it,  the  tortoise  grew  and  grew 
and  grew  until  its  back  was  big  enough  for  two  men  to  ride  upon. 

'What  an  extraordinary  thing !' exclaimed  Urashima.  'Right 
you  are,  friend  tortoise,  I'll  come  with  you.'  And  with  that  he 
jumped  on. 

'That's  better/  said  the  tortoise;  'now  we'll  be  off.  Hold 
tight ! ' 

The  next  moment  the  tortoise  plunged  into  the  sea,  and  dived 
down  and  down  until  Urashima  thought  they  would  never  be  able 
to  reach  the  surface  again  in  a  thousand  years.  At  last  he  caught 

148 


URASHIMA  TARO 

sight  of  a  land  below  them,  shining  all  green  with  the  filtered 
sunlight ;  and  now,  as  they  took  a  level  course,  he  could  make  out 
the  towns  and  villages  below,  with  beautiful  gardens  full  of  bright 
flowers  and  waving  dreamy  trees.  Then  they  passed  over  a  vast 
green  plain,  at  the  further  side  of  which,  in  a  village  at  the  foot  of 
high  mountains,  shone  the  splendid  portals  of  a  magnificent  palace. 

'  See  ! '  said  the  tortoise,  '  that  is  the  entrance  to  Rin  Gin.  We 
shall  soon  be  there  now.  How  do  you  feel  ?  ' 

'  Quite  well,  thank  you ! '  And  indeed,  when  Urashima  felt 
his  clothes  he  found  they  were  quite  dry,  which  was  really  not  so 
surprising  because,  as  he  was  borne  swiftly  through  the  water,  there 
was  all  the  time  a  space  of  air  around  him,  so  that  not  only  was  he 
kept  quite  dry,  but  he  could  breathe  quite  easily. 

When  they  drew  nearer  to  the  great  gate,  Urashima  could  see 
beyond  it,  half  hidden  by  the  trees,  the  shining  domes  of  the  palace. 
It  was  indeed  a  magnificent  place,  unlike  anything  ever  seen  in  the 
lands  above  the  sea. 

Now  they  were  at  the  great  gate,  and  the  tortoise  stopped  at 
the  foot  of  a  flight  of  coral  steps  and  asked  him  to  dismount. 

'  You  can  walk  now,  Urashima ' ;  and  it  led  the  way.  Then  the 
gatekeeper — a  royal  sturgeon — challenged  them,  but  the  tortoise 
explained  that  Urashima  was  a  mortal  from  the  great  kingdom  of 
Japan,  who  had  come  to  visit  the  Sea  King,  and  the  gatekeeper 
immediately  showed  them  in. 

As  they  advanced,  they  were  met  by  the  courtiers  and  officials. 
The  dolphin,  the  bonito,  the  great  cuttle-fish,  the  bright-red  bream ; 
and  the  mullet,  the  sole,  the  flounder,  and  a  host  of  other  fishes 
came  forward  and  bowed  gracefully  before  the  tortoise ;  indeed,  such 
homage  did  they  pay  that  Urashima  wondered  what  sway  the 
tortoise  held  in  this  kingdom  beneath  the  sea.  Then,  when  the 
visitor  was  introduced,  they  all  cried  out  a  welcome.  And  the 
dolphin,  who  was  a  high  official,  remarked,  'We  are  delighted  to 
see  so  distinguished  a  stranger  from  the  great  kingdom  of  Japan. 
Welcome  to  the  palace  of  the  Dragon  King  of  the  Sea  I ' 

149 


URASHIMA  TARO 

Then  all  the  fishes  went  in  a  procession  before  them  to  the 
interior  of  the  palace. 

Now  the  humble  fisherman  had  never  been  in  such  a  magni 
ficent  place  before.  He  had  never  read  How  to  behave  in  a  Palace, 
but,  though  much  amazed,  he  did  not  feel  at  all  shy.  As  he  followed 
his  guides,  he  suddenly  noticed  that  the  tortoise  had  disappeared, 
but  he  soon  forgot  this  when  he  saw  a  lovely  Princess,  surrounded 
by  her  maidens,  come  forward  to  greet  him. 

She  was  more  beautiful  than  anything  on  earth,  and  her  robes  of 
pink  and  green  changed  colour  like  the  surface  of  the  sea  at  sunset 
in  some  sheltered  cove.  There  were  threads  of  pure  gold  in  her 
long  hair,  and,  as  she  smiled,  her  teeth  looked  like  little  white  pearls. 
She  spoke  soft  words  to  him,  and  her  voice  was  as  the  murmur 
of  the  sea. 

Urashima  was  so  enchanted  that  he  could  not  speak  a  word  ; 
but  he  had  heard  that  one  must  always  bow  low  to  a  Princess,  and 
he  was  about  to  do  so  when  the  Princess  tripped  to  his  side,  and, 
taking  his  hand  in  hers,  led  him  off  into  a  splendid  apartment,  where 
she  conducted  him  to  the  place  of  honour  and  asked  him  to  be 
seated. 

'  Listen  to  me,  Urashima,1  she  said  in  a  low,  sweet  voice.  '  I 
am  filled  with  joy  at  welcoming  you  to  my  father's  palace,  and  I  will 
tell  you  why.  Yesterday  you  saved  the  precious  life  of  a  tortoise. 
Urashima,  I  was  that  tortoise !  It  was  my  life  that  you  saved ! ' 

Urashima  could  not  believe  this  at  first,  but,  when  he  gazed 
into  her  beautiful  eyes,  he  remembered  their  wistful  look,  and  her 
sweet  words  were  spoken  in  the  same  voice  as  that  which  had  called 
his  name  upon  the  sea.  And  he  was  so  astonished  that  he  could 
not  speak. 

'Would  you  like  to  live  here  always,  Urashima, — to  live  in 
everlasting  youth,  never  growing  tired  or  weary?  This  is  the 
land  of  eternal  summer,  where  all  is  joy,  and  neither  death  nor 
sorrow  may  come.  Stay,  Urashima,  and  I,  the  Princess  of  my 
father's  kingdom,  will  be  your  bride ! ' 

150 


URASHIMA  TARO 

Urashima  felt  it  was  all  a  dream ;  yet,  if  it  were,  then  from 
the  very  heart  of  that  dream  he  replied  in  words  that  came  of 
their  own  accord. 

4  Sweet  Princess,  if  I  could  thank  you  ten  thousand  times  I 
should  still  want  to  thank  you  all  over  again.  I  will  stay  here ; 
nay — more :  I  simply  cannot  go,  for  this  is  the  most  wonderful 
place  I  have  ever  dreamed  of,  and  you  are  the  most  wonderful 
thing  in  it.' 

A  smile  spread  over  her  lovely  face.  She  bent  towards  him, 
and  their  lips  met  in  the  first  sweet  kiss  of  love. 

Then,  as  if  by  this  a  magic  button  had  been  pressed,  a  loud 
gong  sounded,  and  immediately  the  whole  palace  was  in  a  bustle  of 
excitement.  Presently  a  procession  of  all  kinds  of  fishes  came  in, 
all  richly  attired  in  flowing  robes  of  various  colours.  Each  one 
advanced  with  slow  and  stately  pace,  some  bearing  beautiful  flowers, 
others  great  mother-of-pearl  dishes  laden  with  all  the  delicacies  that 
go  to  make  a  feast ;  others  bore  trays  of  coral,  red  and  white,  with 
fragrant  wines  and  rare  fruits  such  as  only  grow  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sea.  It  was  the  wedding  feast,  and  with  all  decorum  they  set 
everything  before  the  bride  and  bridegroom. 

It  was  a  day  of  great  joy,  a  day  of  song  and  revelry.  Through 
out  the  whole  kingdom  the  choice  wine  flowed  and  the  sweet  music 
resounded.  In  the  palace  the  happy  pair  pledged  themselves  in  a 
wedding  cup,  while  the  music  played  and  glad  songs  were  sung. 
Later  on,  the  great  hall  of  the  palace  was  cleared  for  a  grand  ball, 
and  all  the  fishes  of  the  sea  came  dressed  in  their  best  gold  and  silver 
scales,  and  danced  till  the  small  hours.  Never  had  Urashima  known 
happiness  so  great ;  never  had  he  moved  amid  so  much  splendour. 

In  the  morning  the  Princess  showed  Urashima  over  the  palace, 
and  pointed  out  all  the  wonders  it  contained.  The  whole  place  was 
fashioned  out  of  pink  and  white  coral,  beautifully  carved  and  inlaid 
everywhere  with  priceless  pearls.  But,  wonderful  as  was  the  palace 
itself,  the  wide  gardens  that  encircled  it  appealed  to  Urashima  even 
more. 


URASHIMA  TARO 

These  gardens  were  designed  so  as  to  represent  the  four  seasons. 
Turning  to  the  east,  Urashima  beheld  all  the  wealth  of  Spring. 
Butterflies  flitted  from  flower  to  flower,  and  bees  were  busy  among  the 
cherry  blossoms.  The  song  of  the  nightingale  could  be  heard  among 
the  trees,  and  the  sweetest  fragrance  was  wafted  on  the  breeze. 

Facing  round  to  the  south,  he  saw  everything  at  the  height  of 
Summer.  The  trees  were  fully  green,  and  luscious  fruits  weighed 
down  their  branches,  while  over  all  was  the  drowsy  hum  of  the 
cicada. 

To  the  west  the  whole  landscape  was  ablaze  with  the  scarlet 
foliage  of  Autumn ;  while,  in  the  north,  the  whole  outlook  was 
beautiful  with  snow  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

It  was  a  wonderful  country  to  live  in  and  never  grow  old.  No 
wonder  that  Urashima  forgot  his  home  in  Japan,  forgot  his  old 
parents,  forgot  even  his  own  name.  But,  after  three  days  of  in 
describable  happiness,  he  seemed  to  wake  up  to  a  memory  of  who  he 
was  and  what  he  had  been.  The  thought  of  his  poor  old  father  and 
mother  searching  everywhere  for  him,  perhaps  mourning  him  as 
dead ;  the  surroundings  of  his  simple  home,  his  friends  in  the  little 
village, — all  these  things  rushed  in  on  his  mind  and  turned  all  his 
joy  to  sadness. 

'  Alas ! '  he  cried,  '  how  can  I  stay  here  any  longer  ?  My  mother 
will  be  weeping  and  wringing  her  hands,  and  my  father  bowing  his 
old  head  in  grief.  I  must  go  back  this  very  day.' 

So,  towards  evening,  he  sought  the  Princess,  his  bride,  and  said 
sadly : 

'  Alas  I  alas  1  you  have  been  so  kind  to  me  and  I  have  been  so 
very,  very  happy,  that  I  have  forgotten  and  neglected  my  parents  for 
three  whole  days.  They  will  think  I  am  dead  and  will  weep  for  me. 
I  must  say  farewell  and  leave  you.' 

Then  the  Princess  wept  and  besought  him  to  remain  with  her. 

'  Beloved ! '  he  protested,  '  in  our  land  of  Japan  there  is  no 
crime  so  terrible  as  the  crime  of  faithlessness  to  one's  parents.  I 

152 


THE  STORY  OF  URASHIMA  TARO 

Urashima  was  so   enchanted  that  he  could  not  speak  a 
word. 


ISee  Page  150 


URASHIMA  TARO 

cannot  face  that,  and  you  would  not  have  me  do  it.  Yet  it  will 
break  my  heart  to  leave  you — break  my  heart — break  my  heart  I 
I  must  go,  beloved,  but  only  for  one  day ;  then  I  will  return  to 
you.' 

'  Alas  I '  cried  the  Princess,  '  what  can  we  do  ?  You  must  act  as 
your  heart  guides  you.  I  would  give  the  whole  world  to  keep  you 
with  me  just  one  more  day.  But  I  know  it  cannot  be.  I  know 
something  of  your  land  and  your  love  of  your  parents.  I  will  await 
your  return  :  you  will  be  gone  only  one  day.  It  will  be  a  long  day 
for  me,  but,  when  it  is  over,  and  you  have  told  your  parents  all,  you 
will  find  a  tortoise  waiting  for  you  by  the  seashore,  and  you  will 
know  that  tortoise :  it  is  the  same  that  will  take  you  back  to  your 
parents — for  one  day  I ' 

'  Oh,  my  beloved  I     How  can  I  leave  you  ?     But ' 

'  But  you  must.  Wait  I  I  have  something  to  give  you  before 
you  go.' 

The  Princess  left  him  hastily  and  soon  returned  with  a  golden 
casket,  set  with  pearls  and  tied  about  with  a  green  ribbon  made 
from  the  floating  seaweed. 

'  Take  it,'  said  she. 

'  After  all  your  other  gifts  ? '  said  he,  feeling  rather  ashamed. 

'  You  saved  my  life,'  said  she.  '  You  are  my  life,  and  all  I  have 
is  yours.  That  casket  contains  all.  When  you  go  up  to  the  dry 
land  you  must  always  have  this  box  with  you,  but  you  must  never 
open  it  till  you  return  to  me.  If  you  do— alas  I  alas,  for  you 
and  me  1 ' 

'  I  promise,  I  promise.  I  will  never  open  it  till  I  return  to  you.' 
Urashima  went  on  his  bended  knee  as  he  said  these  words. 

'  Farewell  I ' 

'  Farewell  1 ' 

Urashima  was  then  conducted  to  the  gate  by  the  court  officials, 

led  by  the  dolphin.     There  the  royal  sturgeon  blew  a  loud  whistle, 

and  presently  a  large  tortoise  came  up.     As  Urashima  mounted  on 

its  back,  it  averted  its  head  as  if  to  conceal  its  eyes.     Perhaps  it  had 

s  i53 


URASHIMA  TARO 

a  reason.  And  for  that  same  identical  reason  Urashima  sat  on  its 
back  stolidly,  and  never  a  word  spoken. 

Down  they  went  into  the  deep,  green  sea,  and  then  up  into 
the  blue.  For  miles  and  miles  and  miles  they  sped  along,  until 
they  came  to  the  coast  of  Japan.  There  Urashima  stepped  ashore, 
answered  the  wistful  eyes  of  the  tortoise  with  a  long,  lingering 
gaze  of  love,  and  hastened  inland. 

The  tortoise  plunged  back  into  the  sea,  and  Urashima  was 
left  on  the  land  with  a  sense  of  sadness. 

He  looked  about  him,  recognising  the  old  landmarks.  Then  he 
went  up  into  the  village ;  but,  as  he  went,  he  noticed  with  some 
surprise  that  everything  seemed  wonderfully  dianged.  The  hills 
were  the  same,  and,  in  a  way,  the  village  was  familiar,  but  the 
people  who  passed  him  on  the  road  were  not  those  he  had  known 
three  days  ago.  Surely  three  short  days  would  leave  him  exactly 
where  he  stood  before  he  went.  Three  days  could  never  produce 
this  change.  He  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  it.  People  he  did 
not  know — strangers  in  the  village,  he  supposed — passed  him  by 
as  if  he  were  a  complete  stranger.  Some  of  them  turned  and 
looked  at  him  as  one  would  look  at  a  newcomer.  Furthermore,  he 
noticed  that  the  slender  trees  of  three  days  since  were  now  giant 
monarchs  of  the  wayside. 

At  last,  wondering  greatly,  he  came  to  his  old  home.  How 
changed  it  was !  And,  when  he  turned  the  handle  of  the  door  and 
walked  in,  crying  out,  '  Ho,  mother  !  ho,  father  I  I  have  come  back 
at  last ! '  he  was  met  by  a  strange  man  barring  the  doorway. 

'  What  do  you  want  ? ' 

'What  do  you  mean?  I  live  here.  Where  are  my  father 
and  mother  ?  They  are  expecting  me.' 

'  I  do  not  understand.     What  is  your  name  ?' 

'  Urashima  Taro.' 

'  Urashima  Taro  I '  cried  the  man  in  surprise. 

'  Yes,  that  is  my  name  :  Urashima  Taro  I ' 

The  man  laughed,  as  if  he  saw  the  joke. 


URASHIMA  TARO 

'  You  don't  mean  the  original  Urashima  Taro  ? '  he  said.  '  But 
still,  you  may  be  some  descendant  of  his — what  ? ' 

'  I  do  not  understand  you.  My  name  is  Urashima  Taro. 
There  is  no  other  bears  that  name.  I  am  the  fisherman :  surely 
you  know  me.' 

The  man  looked  at  Urashima  very  closely  to  see  if  he  were 
joking  or  not. 

'There  was  a  Urashima  Taro,  a  famous  fisherman  of  three 
hundred  years  ago,  but  you — you  are  joking.' 

'  Nay,  nay,  I  am  not  joking.  It  is  you  that  are  joking  with 
your  three  hundred  years.  I  left  here  three  or  four  days  ago,  and 
now  I  have  returned.  Where  have  my  father  and  mother  gone  ? ' 

The  man  stared  at  him  aghast. 

'Are  you  mad?'  he  cried.  '/  have  lived  in  this  house  for 
thirty  years  at  least,  and,  as  for  your  father  and  mother — why,  if 
you  are  really  Urashima  Taro,  they  have  been  dead  three  hundred 
years ;  and  that  is  absurd.  Do  you  want  me  to  believe  you  are 
a  ghost  ? ' 

'  Not  so ;  look  at  my  feet.'  And  Urashima  put  out  one  foot 
and  then  the  other,  in  full  accordance  with  the  Japanese  belief  that 
ghosts  have  no  feet. 

'  Well,  well,'  said  the  man,  '  you  can't  be  Urashima  Taro, 
whatever  you  say,  for  he  lived  three  hundred  years  ago,  and  you 
are  not  yet  thirty.' 

With  this  the  man  banged  the  door  in  Urashima's  face. 

What  could  it  all  mean  ?  Urashima  Taro  dead.  Lived  three 
hundred  years  ago.  What  nonsense !  He  must  be  dreaming.  He 
pinched  his  ear  and  assured  himself  that  he  was  not  only  alive, 
but  wide  awake.  And  yet — and  yet — everything  about  him  seemed 
very  much  changed  since  he  saw  it  last.  He  stood  stock  still  on 
his  way  to  the  gate,  and  looked  this  way  and  that,  trying  to  find 
something  that  had  suffered  only  three  days'  change.  But  every 
thing  was  unfamiliar. 

Then  an  idea  struck  him.     On  the  morning  of  the  day  that  he 


URASHIMA  TARO 

had  rescued  the  tortoise  from  the  boys,  he  had  planted  a  little  willow 
slip  down  by  the  pond  in  the  field.  He  would  go  and  look  at  it, 
and  that  would  settle  the  matter. 

So  he  took  his  way  to  the  pond.  Half-way  he  was  baulked  by 
a  hedge,  high  and  thick,  which  was  new  to  him,  but  he  found  a 
way  through  a  gap.  Well  he  remembered  the  exact  spot  where  he 
had  planted  the  willow  slip  on  the  edge  of  the  pond,  but,  when  he 
arrived  there,  he  could  see  no  sign  of  it.  In  its  place  was  a  gigantic 
trunk  bearing  vast  branches  which  towered  overhead.  And  there  the 
birds  were  singing  the  same  songs  as  they  sang — three  days  ago ! 
Alas !  could  it  indeed  be  three  centuries  ago? 

Perplexed  beyond  measure,  Urashima  resolved  to  go  to  the 
fountain-head  and  settle  the  matter  once  and  for  all.  Turning 
away,  he  made  all  haste  to  the  village — was  this  the  village  he  had 
known  ? — and  inquired  of  a  countryman  he  had  never  seen  before, 
where  the  village  chronicles  were  kept. 

'Yonder,'  said  the  man,  pointing  to  a  building  which  had 
certainly  taken  more  than  three  days  to  erect. 

Urashima  thanked  him  and  then  hastened  to  the  building  and 
went  in.  He  was  not  long  in  finding  what  he  wanted.  It  was 
an  ancient  entry,  and  it  ran  : 

'  Urashima  Taro — a  famous  fisherman  who  lived  in  the  early 
part  of  the  fourteenth  century — the  traditional  patron  demi-god  of 
fishermen.  There  are  many  stories  concerning  this  half-mythical 
character,  chief  of  which  is  that  he  hooked  a  whale  far  from  shore, 
and,  as  he  would  not  relinquish  the  prize,  his  boat  was  dragged  for 
ever  and  ever  over  the  surface  of  the  sea.  Mariners  of  the  present 
day  solemnly  aver  that  they  have  seen  Urashima  Taro  sitting  in  his 
boat  skimming  the  waves  as  he  held  the  line  by  which  he  had 
caught  the  whale.  Whatever  the  real  history  of  Urashima  Taro,  it 
is  certain  that  he  lived  in  the  village,  and  the  legend  concerning  him 
is  the  subject  of  great  interest  to  visitors  from  the  great  land  of 
America.' 

Urashima  shut  the  book  with  a  slam  and  went  away,  down  to 

156 


URASHIMA  TARO 

the  seashore.  As  he  went,  he  realised  that  those  three  days  he  had 
spent  in  perfect  happiness  with  the  Princess  were  not  three  days  at 
all,  but  three  hundred  years.  His  parents  were  long  since  dead,  and 
all  was  changed.  What  else  could  he  do  but  go  back  to  the  Dragon 
kingdom  under  the  sea  ? 

But  when  he  reached  the  shore,  he  found  no  tortoise  ready  to 
take  him  back,  and,  after  waiting  a  long  time,  he  began  to  think  his 
case  was  hopeless.  Then,  suddenly,  he  bethought  himself  of  the 
little  box  which  the  Princess  had  given  him.  He  drew  it  forth  and 
looked  at  it.  He  had  promised  her  not  to  open  it,  but  what  did  it 
matter  now  ?  As  he  did  not  care  what  happened  to  him,  the  deadly 
secret  of  the  box  was  just  as  well  out  as  in.  Besides,  he  might  learn 
something  from  it,  some  secret  way  of  finding  his  beloved  Princess — 
and  that  would  be  happiness ;  but  if,  on  the  other  hand,  some  terrible 
thing  happened  to  him,  what  did  it  signify  ? 

So  he  sat  down  on  the  seashore,  untied  the  fastenings  of  the 
little  box  and  then  lifted  the  lid.  He  was  surprised  to  find  that  the 
box  was  empty ;  but,  slowly,  out  of  the  emptiness  came  a  little  thin, 
purple  cloud  which  curled  up  and  circled  about  his  head.  It  was 
fragrant,  and  reminded  him  of  the  sweet  perfume  of  the  Princess's 
robes.  Now  it  floated  away  towards  the  open  sea  and  Urashima's 
soul  seemed  to  go  with  it. 

Suddenly  he  stood  up,  thinking  he  heard  her  sweet  voice  calling 
him.  For  a  moment  he  stood  there,  a  splendid  figure  of  early  youth. 
Then  a  change  came  over  him.  His  eyes  grew  dim,  his  hair  turned 
silvery  white,  lines  came  upon  his  face,  and  his  form  seemed  to 
shrivel  with  extreme  old  age. 

Then  Urashima  Taro  reeled  and  staggered  to  and  fro.  The 
burden  of  three  hundred  years  was  too  heavy  for  him.  He  threw  up 
his  arms  and  fell  dead  upon  the  sand. 


THE    FIRE    BIRD 


THE   FIRE   BIRD 

A   RUSSIAN    FAIRY   TALE 

IT  was  a  great  day  when  the  Prince  was  born.  The  King  was 
delighted,  and  the  Queen  nearly  went  mad  with  joy.  The  courtiers, 
though  they  hardly  dared  dance  a  Trepak  in  the  palace,  could  not 
keep  their  heels  still ;  while  the  guards,  the  attendants,  the  little 
pages  and  pretty  kitchen  maids,  drank  tea  and  coffee,  glass  after 
glass,  till  the  following  morning,  when  they  all  had  supper,  and  then 
crept  off  on  tip-toe  to  bed.  The  people  clapped  their  hands  and 
sang  and  danced  in  the  squares  and  streets,  till  those  who  danced 
the  longest  got  sore  throats,  and  those  who  sang  the  loudest  got 
footsore.  The  whole  city  could  not  sleep  for  joy.  The  young 
Prince  was  the  first-born,  and  would  one  day  sit  upon  the  throne : 
was  this  a  thing  to  put  under  the  pillow?  On  with  the  dance! 
Another  song !  Drink  deep  to  the  young  Prince  I 

The  doctors  smiled,  and  stroked  the  smile  down  to  the  tips  of 
their  grey  beards  as  they  nodded  to  one  another  amiably.  The  child 
was  strong  and  healthy,  and  would  live ;  and  besides,  they  all 
agreed  upon  the  point  that  he  was  a  Prince,  and  had  his  father's 
nose.  But  alas  !  doctors  are  not  everybody.  After  the  revel  a  wise 
man  from  Persia,  who  was  staying  in  the  city  at  the  time,  awoke 
from  his  slumbers  and  dressed  himself,  and  went  to  see  the  King. 
Sunk  in  a  deep  sleep,  he  had  missed  the  celebrations,  but  he  had 
found  a  vision  of  the  future ;  and  he  was  now  hastening  to  see  the 
King  about  it,  for,  as  you  must  understand,  when  a  wise  man  knows 
the  worst  he  can  never  keep  it  to  himself. 

When  he  came  before  the  King,  he  had  scarcely  the  heart  to 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

tell  him  what  would  befall  his  first-born  ;  but  the  King  bade  him 
speak  out,  and  he  obeyed. 

'  Sire,'  he  said  humbly,  '  I  come  not  to  tell  thee  bad  news,  but 
rather  to  warn  thee  in  time,  lest  a  vision  that  came  to  me  in  the 
night  should  perchance  come  true.' 

The  King  looked  a  little  anxious,  for  he  had  heard  tales,  strange 
but  true,  about  this  wise  man  from  Persia  and  his  wonderful  powers. 

'  Speak  on,  Ferdasan/  he  said. 

'  Sire/  replied  the  seer,  '  the  dream  that  came  to  me  was  a  deep- 
sleep  vision.  Doubt  not  that  it  is  a  warning  entrusted  to  me  to 
lay  before  you.  O  King,  this  is  the  substance  of  it.  Fifteen  years 
came  and  went  before  my  inner  eyes,  and  the  son  that  has  been  born 
to  you  from  heaven  grew  more  beautiful  year  by  year.  But  at  the 
close  of  the  fifteenth  year  he — flew  away  I ' 

'  Flew  away ! '  cried  the  King,  startled.  '  And  what  was  the 
manner  of  his  flight,  O  Ferdasan  ? ' 

'  Sire,  in  the  midst  of  the  palace  gardens,  Hausa,  the  Bird  of 
the  Sun,  came  to  seek  him  or  to  be  sought  by  him.  He  mounted 
on  the  back  of  this  bird ;  and  then,  as  the  twilight  fell,  it  carried 
him  away  westward.' 

'  With  what  purpose,  Ferdasan  ? ' 

'That,  sire,  I  can  reveal  to  you  only  in  words  that  hide  my 
thoughts,  and ' 

'  Nay,  nay ;  tell  me  all,  I  command  you.' 

1  His  fate  stands  thus.  He  is  destined  to  marry  the  Maiden 
of  the  Dawn,  and,  in  quest  of  her,  he  will  fly  westward  in  his 
fifteenth  year,  unless ' 

'  Yes,  unless  what,  man  ? ' 

1  Unless  you  yourself,  sire,  keep  watch  and  ward  and  so 
prevent  him.' 

The  King  stared  at  the  seer.     How  could  he  believe  this  thing? 

'  It  seems  that  you  have  come  to  disturb  my  peace/  he  said 
angrily.  'What  proof  have  I  that  you  speak  truly?  If  your 
wisdom  has  brought  me  this  warning,  then  your  wisdom  can  avert 

1 60 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

There  he  found  the  Princess  asleep  and  saw  that  her  face 
was  the  face  he  had  seen  in  the  portrait. 


ISee  page  165 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

the  evil  fate.     You  will  remain  in  this  palace  until  the  die  is  cast. 
That  is  my  command.' 

'  Sire,'  replied  Ferdasan  humbly,  '  my  work  is  done,  and  I 
must  return  to  my  cave  in  the  mountains.' 

'  What  I '  cried  the  King  in  a  rage,  '  you  defy  me  ?  I  will 
compel  you.' 

'  You  cannot,'  replied  Ferdasan.  '  Seers  stand  before  kings — 
and  that  is  true  in  two  ways. 

'  We  shall  see.'  The  King  clapped  his  hands  fiercely.  Then, 
as  two  guards  came  running  in  answer  to  the  summons,  he  cried, 
'  Take  that  man  and  place  him  in  a  dungeon  1 ' 

The  guards  turned  upon  Ferdasan,  who  stood  calm  and 
unmoved,  looking  at  the  King.  Then,  as  they  were  about  to  seize 
him,  a  strange  thing  happened.  They  clutched  at  the  empty  air 
and  staggered  against  one  another,  amazed.  For  a  moment  the 
Throne-room  seemed  to  echo  a  sweet  music  from  far  away ;  for  a 
moment  it  was  filled  with  the  faint  fragrance  of  mountain  lilies ; 
then  the  King  saw  a  thin  grey  mist  slowly  issuing  through  one  of 
the  windows,  to  dissolve  in  the  sunlight. 

And  then  he  knew. 

From  that  time  forward,  the  King  regarded  the  seer's  prediction 
with  great  anxiety.  He  watched  the  young  Prince  continually  in  his 
first  years,  and,  when,  as  was  often  the  case,  he  saw  him  gazing 
wistfully  towards  the  west  when  the  sun  had  set,  he  felt  sure  that 
the  coming  event  had  cast  its  shadow  before. 

Accordingly,  as  soon  as  the  young  Prince  entered  his  fifteenth 
year,  the  King  had  him  imprisoned  in  a  lofty  tower  situated  in  the 
palace  gardens,  and  placed  a  guard  about  it,  for  he  was  determined 
to  take  no  risk  whatever. 

But,  while  he  kept  the  Prince  a  close  prisoner,  he  surrounded 
him  with  every  luxury,  for  he  loved  him  dearly.  He  even  promised 
him  that,  on  his  fifteenth  birthday,  a  great  festival  would  be  held  in 
his  honour,  though  he  himself  would  only  be  allowed  to  watch  the 
festivities  from  the  high  window  of  the  tower. 
T  161 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

The  Prince  implored  his  father  to  let  him  wander  in  the  gardens 
on  his  birthday ;  but  the  King  was  so  afraid  that,  by  some  means  or 
other,  he  would  be  spirited  away,  that  he  refused.  In  addition  to 
this,  he  double-locked  and  barred  the  topmost  room  of  the  tower  in 
which  the  Prince  was  imprisoned. 

On  the  day  of  the  festival,  the  sun  rose  bright.  As  the  Prince 
watched  it  from  his  high  window,  his  heart  rose  with  it.  At  noon  he 
had  fully  decided  to  disobey  his  father  and  escape  from  his  prison. 
He  brooded  till  sunset ;  then,  as  the  twilight  gathered,  he  went  to 
the  window  again  and  listened  to  the  sounds  of  festivity  in  the  city 
all  around.  Presently,  he  leaned  out  over  the  window-sill  and 
looked  down.  It  was  a  long  way  to  the  ground,  but  the  gardens 
were  beautiful,  and  he  was  determined  to  reach  them  and  roam  free 
among  the  trees  and  flowers.  Was  not  this  his  birthday,  and  was 
not  the  city  holding  high  festival  in  his  honour  ?  It  seemed  hard 
that  he  should  be  a  prisoner,  when  even  the  guards  of  his  prison  had 
stolen  away  to  join  the  merry  throng.  The  city  without  was  a  blaze 
of  light  and  a  chorus  of  revel,  but  the  gardens  below  seemed  to  be 
deserted  :  now  was  his  opportunity. 

Turning  back  into  the  apartment,  he  swept  his  eyes  round  for 
anything  that  would  serve  as  a  rope.  There  were  heavy  hangings 
falling  from  the  high  ceiling :  he  could  not  pull  these  down.  There 
was  the  carpet ;  yes,  he  could  make  a  rope  of  that. 

He  quickly  secured  a  knife,  and  ripped  from  the  edge  of  the 
carpet  many  long  threads.  When  he  had  a  sufficient  number,  he  set 
to  work  to  plait  a  rope,  splicing  fresh  threads  in  at  intervals  until  it 
was  nearly  a  hundred  feet  long.  Then  he  tied  one  end  of  it  securely 
to  one  of  the  pillars  supporting  the  roof,  and  let  the  free  length  of  it 
down  from  the  window.  By  the  light  of  the  full  moon  sailing  over 
head,  he  could  see  that  the  end  of  the  rope  reached  as  far  as  the 
branches  of  a  tree  growing  at  the  foot  of  the  tower. 

It  was  now  past  midnight,  and  the  garden  below  was  just  as 
silent  as  the  city  outside  was  loud  with  merriment.  As  the  Prince 
climbed  over  the  window-sill  and  let  himself  down  the  rope,  he  took 

162 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

no  thought  as  to  how  he  might  get  back  again  ;  it  was  quite 
enough  to  get  away  from  the  lonely,  stifling  place  of  his  im 
prisonment. 

At  last  his  feet  touched  the  topmost  bough  of  the  tree,  but  there 
was  rope  to  spare ;  and  he  went  on  until,  at  the  end  of  it,  he  was  able 
to  grasp  a  bough  thick  enough  to  bear  his  weight ;  and  by  this  means 
he  climbed  along  to  the  trunk,  and  so  to  the  ground. 

There  was  no  one  about.  The  guards  were  all  away  merry 
making  in  the  Prince's  honour.  Although  he  was  still  a  prisoner 
within  the  garden  walls,  he  was  enjoying  his  adventure  and  the  sense 
of  freedom  to  wander,  even  in  the  gardens. 

He  took  his  way  along  pathways  where  the  moonbeams  strayed. 
He  drank  in  the  cool  night  air,  and  paused  ever  and  again  to  pluck 
a  sweet-smelling  night-flower.  Wandering  on,  he  came  at  length  to 
a  bank  at  the  end  of  the  garden,  beyond  which  he  knew  was  a  steep 
cliff  overlooking  a  valley.  Before  his  father  had  shut  him  up  in  the 
tower,  he  had  always  been  forbidden  to  approach  that  end  of  the 
garden,  and  he  had  never  done  so ;  but  now  his  curiosity  led  him  on, 
and  he  advanced  cautiously  along  an  avenue  of  overarching  trees. 
But  it  soon  grew  so  dense  and  dark,  that  he  was  about  to  turn  back, 
when  suddenly  he  espied  a  misty  light  beginning  to  grow  brighter 
and  brighter  at  the  far  end  of  the  avenue. 

Eager  to  find  out  where  this  light  came  from,  and  seeing  his 
way  more  clearly  now,  he  hastened  on,  and  soon  arrived  at  the  mouth 
of  a  large  cave,  which,  inside,  was  as  bright  as  day.  He  ventured 
farther  forward  and  peered  round  a  buttress  of  rock ;  and  there,  in 
the  centre  of  the  cave,  a  strange  sight  met  his  eyes.  A  gigantic  bird 
was  standing  there,  getting  ready  to  fly  through  the  farther  opening 
overlooking  the  valley.  It  was  stretching  its  neck  and  flapping  its 
wings  ;  and,  from  every  feather  of  these,  flashed  rays  and  sparkles  of 
light,  illuminating  the  whole  place. 

In  the  centre  of  the  cavern  floor  was  a  crystal  pool  into  which, 
from  a  ledge  high  up  on  the  wall,  fell  a  broad  cascade  almost  like  a 
flowing  veil,  and  the  strong  light  shed  by  the  giant  bird  shone  through 

i6f 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

this  on  to  the  rock  behind  it.  And  there  the  Prince  saw  the  most 
beautiful  thing  he  had  ever  set  eyes  on. 

It  was  an  oval  picture,  framed  in  crystal,  and  hanging  behind 
the  transparent  cascade — a  picture  of  a  beautiful  Princess.  And,  as 
he  looked,  her  eyes  met  his. 

Immediately  the  young  Prince  was  filled  with  a  great  longing  to 
find  the  original  of  this  portrait,  but  it  seemed  that  his  only  way  of 
doing  so  was  through  the  help  of  the  great  bird,  which  was  now 
attracting  his  attention  by  strange  signs.  First  it  looked  at  him 
with  a  kindly  eye ;  then  it  craned  its  neck  towards  the  farther  open 
ing  of  the  cave,  and,  flapping  its  wings  as  if  about  to  fly,  ran  a  step 
or  two  and  then  stopped  and  looked  back  at  him.  After  doing  this 
two  or  three  times  it  crouched  down  and  turned  its  head  sideways, 
looking  straight  at  him,  as  much  as  to  say,  '  Don't  you  want  to  ride 
in  the  air?' 

The  Prince  saw  the  bird's  meaning,  but,  to  signify  that  he  wanted 
to  find  the  Princess,  he  pointed  to  the  picture.  At  this  the  bird 
spread  its  wings  right  out  until  the  tips  brushed  against  each  side  of 
the  cave,  the  feathers  quivering  intensely  and  throwing  out  a  bright 
light  which  almost  blinded  the  Prince. 

Then  the  bird  drew  in  its  wings  and  made  a  sign  to  him  to  mount 
between  them.  At  this  the  Prince,  feeling  sure  that  the  giant  bird 
meant  to  take  him  to  the  Princess,  climbed  up  and  seated  himself 
between  the  great  wings. 

In  another  moment  the  bird  had  launched  itself  from  the  farther 
opening  of  the  cave,  and  they  were  soon  sailing  high  over  the  valley. 
Some  revellers  in  the  city  looked  up  and  saw  what  they  took  to  be  a 
meteor  flashing  across  the  sky;  but  it  was  really  the  Fire  Bird  bearing 
the  Prince  swiftly  to  the  far-off  palace  of  the  Princess. 

How  many  thousands  of  miles  they  flew  between  the  darkest 
hour  and  dawn,  the  Prince  could  not  tell.  Nestling  warm  and  com 
fortable  among  the  soft  feathers,  he  heard  the  roar  of  the  great  creature's 
wings,  and  knew  they  were  travelling  at  a  tremendous  pace.  And  at 
last  the  Fire  Bird  craned  its  neck  downwards,  and,  as  they  began  to 

164 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

descend  in  a  slanting  direction,  the  Prince  could  see  something 
sparkling  on  the  horizon  in  the  first  rosy  light  of  dawn. 

Nearer  and  nearer  they  came,  and  now  he  could  distinguish  the 
great  gates  and  towers  of  what  seemed  to  be  a  palace  of  pure  crystal, 
surrounded  by  beautiful  gardens. 

Swiftly  they  swooped  downwards,  and  the  Fire  Bird  alighted  on 
the  edge  of  a  broad  balcony,  and  crouched  down  for  the  Prince  to 
dismount. 

The  journey  had  not  been  in  vain.  There,  on  a  mossy  bank 
among  the  beautiful  flowers  in  the  garden,  he  found  the  Princess 
asleep ;  and,  as  he  looked  down  at  her,  he  saw  that  her  face  was  the 
face  he  had  seen  in  the  portrait. 

He  tried  to  wake  her,  but  her  sleep  was  sound  :  she  did  not  stir. 
He  breathed  on  her  eyelids  and  whispered  in  her  ear,  but  still  she 
slept  on. 

Seeing  this,  the  Bird  grew  restless,  and  craning  its  neck  forward, 
seized  the  Prince  with  its  beak  and  placed  him  again  between  its 
wings.  Then  it  sprang  upwards  and  soared  swiftly  into  the  sky. 

Soon  they  were  back  in  the  cave,  and  the  Prince,  dreading  to 
return  to  the  prison  tower,  spent  the  hours  of  daylight  in  his  warm 
nest  between  the  Fire  Bird's  wings. 

The  following  night,  as  the  hours  were  drawing  on  towards  dawn, 
the  Bird  set  forth  again.  But  again  the  Prince  was  unable  to  wake 
the  sleeping  Princess,  so  they  returned  once  more.  But,  on  the  third 
night,  when  they  reached  the  Princess,  the  light  of  dawn  was  in  the 
sky,  and,  as  it  grew  every  moment  rosier  and  rosier,  the  Princess 
awoke  of  her  own  accord  to  find  the  young  Prince  sitting  among  the 
flowers  by  her  side.  She  had  only  just  time  to  see  the  Fire  Bird 
pluck  a  feather  from  its  wing  with  its  beak,  and  let  it  fall  at  her  feet, 
before  it  soared  away.  She  picked  up  the  feather  and  placed  it  in  her 
bosom.  Then  she  looked  at  the  Prince. 

There  is  love,  and  there  is  love ;  but  such  love  as  sprang  up  at 
the  same  moment  in  two  hearts  can  never  be  described.  It  was  as  if 
she  had  been  dreaming  about  him  all  her  life,  and  now  she  had 

165 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

awakened  to  find  him.  It  was  as  if  his  journey  had  been  to  Paradise. 
She  raised  her  arms  to  him,  and  he  enfolded  her  and  kissed  her. 
Then  they  wandered  among  the  flowers  and  trees,  and  all  the  birds 
understood  :  they  sang  so  divinely. 

Towards  evening,  as  the  shadows  began  to  fall,  the  Princess's 
sister,  who  was  a  wicked  Sorceress,  came  into  the  garden  and  stood 
behind  a  tree  watching  the  lovers. 

'  I  '11  soon  put  an  end  to  this,'  she  said,  clenching  her  hands  in 
jealous  rage.  She  went  away  and  performed  spells,  and,  by  her 
wicked  arts,  she  summoned  the  image  of  the  Prince  before  her,  so 
that  his  life  went  out  of  his  body,  and  he  remained  in  the  Princess's 
arms  like  one  dead. 

Terrified  and  distracted  with  grief,  the  Princess  carried  the  lifeless 
body  of  her  lover  into  the  palace  and  laid  it  on  a  couch  in  her  own 
apartment.  There,  exhausted  with  the  effort,  she  fell  upon  it,  weeping 
bitterly.  She  called  his  name,  but  he  did  not  answer.  His  ears  were 
deaf,  his  eyes  were  closed,  his  pale  lips  did  not  respond  to  her  kisses. 

But  the  Prince  was  not  dead :  he  was  bewitched.  The 
Sorceress,  by  means  of  his  image,  had  torn  his  heart  from  his 
breast  and  had  taken  it  far  away.  Yet,  all  the  time,  that  heart  was 
still  beating  with  life,  and  with  love  for  the  Princess. 

Forlorn  and  sorrowful  the  Princess  sat  by  the  couch,  when 
suddenly  she  started  up  with  clenched  hands. 

'  I  know  I  I  know ! '  she  cried.  Then  she  bent  down  and  kissed 
the  Prince's  lips.  She  felt  them  tremble  against  hers,  and,  though 
she  could  not  call  him  back,  she  knew  that  he  was  not  dead.  '  Oh  I 
my  wicked  sister  I  This  is  your  work.  You  have  bewitched  my 
love  I  Never  again  !  This  is  the  end  I ' 

She  ran  everywhere,  in  and  about  the  palace,  in  search  of  her 
sister,  her  hands  clenched,  her  eyes  blazing,  her  teeth  set.  But  she 
could  not  find  her.  At  last  a  page,  terrified  to  death  at  her  aspect, 
confessed  that  her  sister  had  fled  from  the  palace  alone,  mounted  on 
the  fleetest  steed  of  the  stables. 

The  Princess  at  once  resolved  to  follow  her  and  force  her  to 

1 66 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

restore  the  Prince  to  life  and  health.  But,  at  the  very  outset,  there 
was  a  terrible  difficulty  to  be  surmounted.  The  Princess  herself 
had  never  been  beyond  the  walls  that  encircled  the  vast  grounds  of 
the  palace.  She  knew  that  there  were  twelve  gates,  and  that  only 
one  of  these  was  left  unlocked  from  sunset  till  sunrise,  and  that  none 
could  tell  which  one  it  might  be.  Now  the  law  of  the  palace 
permitted  her  to  try  one  gate  each  night,  and  one  gate  only. 

She  sat  down  and  thought,  and  then  decided  to  try  the  same 
gate  each  night  until  it  happened  to  be  the  right  one.  For  twelve 
nights  she  tried,  but  each  time  she  found  the  gate  locked  and 
barred. 

Then  she  suddenly  remembered  that,  when  the  Fire  Bird  had 
brought  the  Prince  to  her,  it  had  plucked  a  bright  feather  from  its 
wing  and  let  it  fall  at  her  feet.  She  had  preserved  it  in  a  golden 
casket.  Could  it  be  that  this  feather  had  magic  powers  ?  She  ran 
with  all  haste  to  her  apartment,  and  took  it  from  the  casket.  As  she 
did  so,  it  sparkled  and  quivered.  As  she  held  it  up  she  was  more 
than  ever  convinced  that  it  held  magic  powers. 

She  looked  at  the  feather,  and  she  thought  of  the  Fire  Bird  itself, 
and  wished  that  it  could  only  come  and  advise  her  what  to  do. 

Scarcely  had  she  conceived  the  wish,  when  a  faint  sound  from 
far  away  struck  upon  her  ears.  As  she  listened,  it  grew  louder  and 
louder,  and  nearer  and  nearer,  until  at  last  she  knew  it  was  the  roar 
of  the  Fire  Bird's  wings.  She  ran  out  onto  the  balcony,  and  there 
she  saw  it,  like  a  meteor  in  the  sky,  every  moment  growing  bigger. 

At  last,  with  a  glad,  shrill  cry,  it  swooped  down,  and  its  giant 
wings  fluttered  and  vibrated  a  moment  before  it  alighted  on  the  edge 
of  the  balcony,  its  fiery  golden  light  sparkling  on  the  crystal  pillars 
and  shimmering  in  the  air  all  around. 

The  Princess  held  up  the  feather,  and  the  Fire  Bird  bowed  its 
head  slowly  three  times.  Then  it  suddenly  turned  round  as  if  to  fly 
away,  but  looked  back  at  her,  and  raised  its  wings,  and  fluffed  out  the 
soft,  glistening  feathers  in  the  hollow  of  its  back.  Arching  its  head 
round,  it  began  to  act  as  if  it  were  preparing  a  nest  for  her  between 

167 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

its  wings,  and  the  Princess  saw  plainly  that  it  was  only  waiting  for 
her  to  seat  herself  there  before  flying  away.  The  Bird  knew  what 
she  wanted ;  she  was  sure  of  that.  So  she  mounted  between  the 
wings,  and  nestled  down  on  a  soft  feather  bed  of  dazzling  golden 
light,  warm  and  comfortable.  Then,  with  a  long,  jubilant  cry  the 
Bird  rose  in  the  air,  and,  craning  its  neck  westward,  flashed  through 
space  at  a  terrific  rate. 

Very  soon  they  overtook  the  setting  sun,  passed  it,  and  left  it 
sinking  on  the  horizon  as  they  went  on  into  the  purlieus  of  the  Land 
of  Night  and  Silence,  which  lies  beyond  the  great  round  shoulder  of 
the  world.  And  here  the  Fire  Bird  blazed  along,  leaving  a  trail  of 
light  in  its  wake  and  throwing  a  radiance  on  the  hills  and  forests 
over  which  it  passed  ;  until  it  came,  by  way  of  the  Valley-which-has- 
no-Borders,  to  the  Forest-without-an-End. 

Here  the  Bird  swooped  downwards  and  alighted  before  a  black- 
mouthed  cave.  He  crouched  while  the  Princess  dismounted.  As 
she  did  so,  the  Bird  plucked  two  fresh  feathers  from  its  wing  with  its 
beak  and  held  them  out  to  her.  They  shed  a  brilliant  light,  and  she, 
seeing  at  once  that  they  would  serve  as  lamps,  took  them,  one  in 
each  hand,  and  advanced  into  the  gloomy  cave. 

She  had  not  gone  far  when  she  heard  a  voice  crooning  a  witch 
song,  and,  peering  round  the  edge  of  a  rock,  she  espied  her  sister 
seated  beside  a  cauldron,  beneath  which  was  a  freezing  fire  fed  with 
blocks  of  frozen  brine. 

From  the  witch  song  her  sister  was  singing,  the  Princess  learned 
that  her  lover's  heart  was  in  the  cauldron.  She  listened  while  the 
Sorceress  sang : 

'  Seethe  !  Seethe  !  Heart  of  her  lover, 

Beating  in  tune  with  mine. 
Never  the  two  their  love  can  recover, 

Never  their  arms  entwine. 
Freeze  !  Freeze  /  Heart  in  this  cauldron, 

Seared  by  the  frozen  brine  !  ' 

With  a  scream  the  Princess  rushed  forward,  and,   before  her 

1 68 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

With  a  scream  the  Princess  rushed  forward,  and  before 
her  wicked  sister  could  prevent  her,  she  had  upset  her 
cauldron  with  a  crash. 


ISee  page  168 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

wicked  sister  could  prevent  her,  she  had  upset  the  cauldron  with 
a  crash.  Some  of  the  icy  fire  of  brine  splashed  up  in  the  face  of  the 
Sorceress,  and  with  a  loud,  grating  shriek,  she  fell  to  the  ground 
senseless — dead  I 

The  Princess  snatched  up  her  lover's  heart,  and  placed  it  in 
her  bosom  against  her  own,  where  she  could  feel  it  still  beating. 
Then,  without  waiting  another  moment,  she  ran  back  to  the  Fire 
Bird,  and  sprang  upon  its  back  with  a  cry  of  joy,  patting  its  neck 
and  stroking  its  feathers. 

Up  in  the  sky  they  soared  again,  and  away  over  the  world 
towards  the  palace  in  the  Home  of  the  Dawn.  And,  as  they  neared 
their  destination,  the  Princess  suddenly  missed  something.  Quickly 
she  felt  in  her  bosom  to  see  if  the  heart  of  her  lover  was  safe ;  but  lo, 
it  was  gone !  It  seemed  to  have  grown  warm  and  melted  right  away. 

Distressed  at  this,  she  urged  the  Fire  Bird  to  still  greater  speed, 
until  his  track  through  the  sky  was  like  that  of  a  shooting  star.  At 
length  they  swooped  down  and  alighted  on  the  balcony  of  the  palace. 
The  roaring  of  the  Fire  Bird's  wings  was  stilled,  but  the  hum  of  its 
feathers  continued — a  throbbing  pulsation  of  musical  sound. 

As  the  Princess  alighted,  the  Prince  himself  came  running  to  her. 
Then,  with  a  mingled  cry  of  delight,  the  lovers  leapt  to  greet  each 
other,  and,  when  they  were  enfolded  in  each  other's  arms,  the  Fire 
Bird  discreetly  turned  his  head  away  and  preened  his  tail  feathers. 

The  Princess  did  not  trouble  about  her  lover's  heart  which  she 
had  taken  from  the  Sorceress  and  missed  on  the  way.  She  now  felt 
it  beating  against  her  own,  and  knew  that  it  was  in  its  right  place. 
The  Prince  was  free  from  the  wicked  spell  at  last. 


The  Fire  Bird's  work  was  done.  Without  a  word  he  sprang  into 
the  air,  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight.  And  the  lovers  did  not  hear  him 
go,  for,  by  some  mysterious  power,  he  hushed  his  wings  and  went 
secretly,  for,  as  you  must  have  seen,  he  was  really  a  very  old  bird. 

The  Prince  and  the  Princess  were  married  very  soon,  and,  during 
u  169 


THE  FIRE  BIRD 

the  celebrations,  the  Fire  Bird  was  seen  to  circle  thrice  eveiy  night 
round  the  palace,  but  he  never  settled. 

As  King  and  Queen  of  the  People  of  the  Dawn,  they  reigned  for 
long  years,  and  the  Fire  Bird  was  always  their  friend.  On  every 
anniversary  of  their  wedding  day,  they  awoke  to  the  sound  of  his 
roaring  wings.  He  always  brought  a  present ;  and  do  you  know 
what  it  was  ?  Just  a  single  feather  of  his  shining  wing,  so  that  they 
might  obtain  whatever  joy  they  wished  for. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRD 

FENG 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRD  FENG 

A  CHINESE   FAIRY  TALE 

IN  the  Book  of  the  Ten  Thousand  Wonders  there  are  three  hundred 
and  thirty-three  stories  about  the  bird  called  Feng,  and  this  is  one 
of  them. 

Ta-Khai,  Prince  of  Tartary,  dreamt  one  night  that  he  saw  in  a 
place  where  he  had  never  been  before  an  enchantingly  beautiful 
young  maiden  who  could  only  be  a  princess.  He  fell  desperately 
in  love  with  her,  but  before  he  could  either  move  or  speak,  she  had 
vanished.  When  he  awoke  he  called  for  his  ink  and  brushes,  and, 
in  the  most  accomplished  willow-leaf  style,  he  drew  her  image  on  a 
piece  of  precious  silk,  and  in  one  corner  he  wrote  these  lines : 

The  flowers  of  the  paeony 

Will  they  ever  bloom  ? 
A  day  without  her 

Is  like  a  hundred  years. 

He  then  summoned  his  ministers,  and,  showing  them  the 
portrait,  asked  if  any  one  could  tell  him  the  name  of  the  beautiful 
maiden  ;  but  they  all  shook  their  heads  and  stroked  their  beards 
They  knew  not  who  she  was. 

So  displeased  was  the  prince  that  he  sent  them  away  in  disgrace 
to  the  most  remote  provinces  of  his  kingdom.  All  the  courtiers,  the 
generals,  the  officers,  and  every  man  and  woman,  high  and  low,  who 
lived  in  the  palace  came  in  turn  to  look  at  the  picture.  But  they 
all  had  to  confess  their  ignorance.  Ta-Khai  then  called  upon  the 

171 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRD  FENG 

magicians  of  the  kingdom  to  find  out  by  their  art  the  name  of  the 
princess  of  his  dreams,  but  their  answers  were  so  widely  different 
that  the  prince,  suspecting  their  ability,  condemned  them  all  to  have 
their  noses  cut  off.  The  portrait  was  shown  in  the  outer  court  of 
the  palace  from  sunrise  till  sunset,  and  exalted  travellers  came  in 
every  day,  gazed  upon  the  beautiful  face,  and  came  out  again.  None 
could  tell  who  she  was. 

Meanwhile  the  days  were  weighing  heavily  upon  the  shoulders 
of  Ta-Khai,  and  his  sufferings  cannot  be  described  ;  he  ate  no  more, 
he  drank  no  more,  and  ended  by  forgetting  which  was  day  and 
which  was  night,  what  was  in  and  what  was  out,  what  was  left  and 
what  was  right.  He  spent  his  time  roaming  over  the  mountains 
and  through  the  woods  crying  aloud  to  the  gods  to  end  his  life  and 
his  sorrow. 

It  was  thus,  one  day,  that  he  came  to  the  edge  of  a  precipice. 
The  valley  below  was  strewn  with  rocks,  and  the  thought  came  to 
his  mind  that  he  had  been  led  to  this  place  to  put  a  term  to  his 
misery.  He  was  about  to  throw  himself  into  the  depths  below  when 
suddenly  the  bird  Feng  flew  across  the  valley  and  appeared  before 
him,  saying : 

'  Why  is  Ta-Khai,  the  mighty  Prince  of  Tartary,  standing  in  this 
place  of  desolation  with  a  shadow  on  his  brow  ? ' 

Ta-Khai  replied :  '  The  pine  tree  finds  its  nourishment  where 
it  stands,  the  tiger  can  run  after  the  deer  in  the  forests,  the  eagle  can 
fly  over  the  mountains  and  the  plains,  but  how  can  I  find  the  one 
for  whom  my  heart  is  thirsting?' 

And  he  told  the  bird  his  story. 

The  Feng,  which  in  reality  was  a  Feng-Hwang,  that  is,  a  female 
Feng,  rejoined : 

'  Without  the  help  of  Supreme  Heaven  it  is  not  easy  to  acquire 
wisdom,  but  it  is  a  sign  of  the  benevolence  of  the  spiritual  beings 
that  I  should  have  come  between  you  and  destruction.  I  can  make 
myself  large  enough  to  carry  the  largest  town  upon  my  back,  or 
small  enough  to  pass  through  the  smallest  keyhole,  and  I  know  all 

172 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRD  FENG 

The  wonderful  bird,  like  a  fire  of  many  colours  came  down 
from  heaven,  alighted  before  the  Princess,  dropping  at 
her  feet  the  portrait. 


[See  page  173 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRD  FENG 

the  princesses  in  all  the  palaces  of  the  earth.  I  have  taught  them 
the  six  intonations  of  my  voice,  and  I  am  their  friend.  Therefore 
show  me  the  picture,  O  Ta-Khai,  and  I  will  tell  you  the  name  of  her 
whom  you  saw  in  your  dream.' 

They  went  to  the  palace,  and,  when  the  portrait  was  shown,  the 
bird  became  as  large  as  an  elephant,  and  exclaimed,  '  Sit  on  my 
back,  O  Ta-Khai,  and  I  will  carry  you  to  the  place  of  your  dream. 
There  you  will  find  her  of  the  transparent  face  with  the  drooping 
eyelids  under  the  crown  of  dark  hair  such  as  you  have  depicted,  for 
these  are  the  features  of  Sai-Jen,  the  daughter  of  the  King  of  China, 
and  alone  can  be  likened  to  the  full  moon  rising  under  a  black 
cloud.' 

At  nightfall  they  were  flying  over  the  palace  of  the  king  just 
above  a  magnificent  garden.  And  in  the  garden  sat  Sai-Jen,  singing 
and  playing  upon  the  lute.  The  Feng-Hwang  deposited  the  prince 
outside  the  wall  near  a  place  where  bamboos  were  growing  and 
showed  him  how  to  cut  twelve  bamboos  between  the  knots  to  make 
the  flute  which  is  called  Pai-Siao  and  has  a  sound  sweeter  than  the 
evening  breeze  on  the  forest  stream. 

And  as  he  blew  gently  across  the  pipes,  they  echoed  the  sound 
of  the  princess's  voice  so  harmoniously  that  she  cried  : 

'  I  hear  the  distant  notes  of  the  song  that  comes  from  my 
own  lips,  and  I  can  see  nothing  but  the  flowers  and  the  trees; 
it  is  the  melody  the  heart  alone  can  sing  that  has  suffered  sorrow 
on  sorrow,  and  to  which  alone  the  heart  can  listen  that  is  full  of 
longing.' 

At  that  moment  the  wonderful  bird,  like  a  fire  of  many  colours 
come  down  from  heaven,  alighted  before  the  princess,  dropping  at 
her  feet  the  portrait.  She  opened  her  eyes  in  utter  astonishment 
at  the  sight  of  her  own  image.  And  when  she  had  read  the  lines 
inscribed  in  the  corner,  she  asked,  trembling : 

'Tell  me,  O  Feng-Hwang,  who  is  he,  so  near,  but  whom  I 
cannot  see,  that  knows  the  sound  of  my  voice  and  has  never  heard 
me,  and  can  remember  my  face  and  has  never  seen  me  ? ' 

i73 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BIRD  FENG 

Then  the  bird  spoke  and  told  her  the  story  of  Ta-Khai's  dream, 
adding : 

'  I  come  from  him  with  this  message  ;  I  brought  him  here  on 
my  wings.  For  many  days  he  has  longed  for  this  hour,  let 
him  now  behold  the  image  of  his  dream  and  heal  the  wound 
in  his  heart.' 

Swift  and  overpowering  is  the  rush  of  the  waves  on  the  pebbles 
of  the  shore,  and  like  a  little  pebble  felt  Sai-Jen  when  Ta-Khai 
stood  before  her.  .  .  . 

The  Feng-Hwang  illuminated  the  garden  sumptuously,  and 
a  breath  of  love  was  stirring  the  flowers  under  the  stars. 

It  was  in  the  palace  of  the  King  of  China  that  were  celebrated 
in  the  most  ancient  and  magnificent  style  the  nuptials  of  Sai-Jen 
and  Ta-Khai,  Prince  of  Tartary. 

And  this  is  one  of  the  three  hundred  and  thirty-three  stories 
about  the  bird  Feng  as  it  is  told  in  the  Book  of  the  Ten  Thousand 
Wonders. 


